Jimmy Kimmel said during his Monday night monologue in September 2025 that the "MAGA gang" was "desperately trying to characterize this kid who killed Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it." He accused supporters of former President Trump of exploiting Charlie Kirk's assassination for political gain. Kimmel also criticized flags being flown at half-mast in Kirk's honor and mocked President Trump's response to the tragedy, saying, "This is not how an adult mourns the murder of someone he refers to as a friend; it resembles how a toddler grieves for a goldfish." He further suggested that the political allies were working hard to capitalize on the murder.
Kimmel's statement was somewhat convoluted, and there has been debate over whether he explicitly said the killer was part of MAGA or rather that MAGA supporters were trying to politically leverage the situation. Law enforcement indicated that the accused killer may lean left politically, adding complexity to the interpretation of Kimmel's remarks.
Due to these remarks, ABC indefinitely suspended Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" amid strong reactions from political figures and the public.
In summary, Kimmel accused Trump's supporters of using the murder for political advantage and criticized the reaction to the event, but his exact wording led to controversy and his show's suspension.
