Jimmy Kimmel Says Critics ‘Maliciously Mischaracterised’ His Remarks On Charlie Kirk

Following the brief suspension of his show, Jimmy Kimmel asserts his controversial Charlie Kirk remarks were deliberately twisted by critics to create a political firestorm.

October 9, 2025: Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, whose ABC show was temporarily pulled off the air last month, stated on Wednesday that he believes his controversial comments regarding the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk were “intentionally and maliciously mischaracterised” by critics.

Speaking at a Bloomberg conference in Los Angeles, Kimmel addressed the intense backlash that led to the six-day suspension of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!.”

“I didn’t think there was a big problem,” Kimmel said of the initial outrage. “I just saw it as a distortion on the part of some of the right-wing media networks, and I aimed to correct it.” He reiterated his belief that critics had “intentionally and maliciously mischaracterised” his remarks.

The controversy stemmed from Kimmel’s September 17 show, where he drew outrage from conservatives for claiming President Donald Trump’s supporters were “desperately trying to characterise” Kirk’s accused assassin “as anything other than one of them” and for trying to “score political points” from the murder.

ABC’s parent company, Walt Disney, temporarily pulled the show after Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr accused Kimmel of misleading viewers about the alleged shooter’s affiliation with Trump’s “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) movement. Carr had urged local stations to push back and even raised the possibility of the FCC revoking station licenses that did not comply.

Kimmel revealed that he spent the weekend following the suspension in discussions with Disney Entertainment Co-Chair Dana Walden to process the situation.

“It helped me think everything through, and it helped me just kind of understand where everyone was coming from,” Kimmel said. Reflecting on his own persona, he added, “I can sometimes be reactionary. I can sometimes be aggressive, and I can sometimes be unpleasant. And I think that it helped me really have those days to think about it.”

Upon his reinstatement after six days, Kimmel returned to the air, defending political satire against what he termed “bullying” from Trump and his administration officials. Taking the stage to a standing ovation, an emotional Kimmel had clarified his intentions, choking up as he said, “It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man. I don’t think there’s anything funny about it.”