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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Jimmy Kimmel did not celebrate Charlie Kirk’s death. In his first televised response, Kimmel called the shooting a “senseless murder” and condemned people who appeared to celebrate it. His later monologue, broadcast on September 15, 2025, became controversial because he attacked Donald Trump, MAGA supporters, and FBI Director Kash Patel over their responses to the killing.
The most widely quoted line was Kimmel’s claim that the “MAGA gang” was trying to portray the accused killer as politically unrelated to them while using the killing to score political points. That commentary—not a statement that Kirk deserved to die—was central to the backlash that led ABC to suspend Jimmy Kimmel Live! on September 17. Disney announced the show’s return on September 22, and Kimmel returned on September 23.
What happened to Charlie Kirk?
Charlie Kirk was shot on September 10, 2025, while speaking at a student-sponsored Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University in Utah. The Utah Department of Public Safety said he was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead later that day. Utah’s official account of the shooting describes the basic timeline and emergency response.
Kimmel discussed the killing on at least two relevant episodes of Jimmy Kimmel Live!: the September 12 broadcast and the September 15 broadcast. The remarks are sometimes summarized online as though Kimmel made one single statement about Kirk. In fact, his comments had three distinct parts:
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors- Condemnation of the shooting itself;
- Condemnation of apparent celebrations or approval of the killing; and
- Criticism of the political reaction from Trump and MAGA-aligned figures, along with criticism of Kash Patel’s handling of the investigation.
What Kimmel said on September 12
According to the Associated Press, Kimmel’s first televised response described Kirk’s death as a “senseless murder.” He condemned people who appeared to be celebrating the killing and expressed sympathy for Kirk’s family and for other victims of gun violence.
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Kimmel also criticized Donald Trump’s attempt to blame the “radical left” for the shooting. The order of those comments matters: Kimmel first condemned the killing and then turned to the political arguments surrounding it. The available reporting does not support the claim that he praised the shooting or said Kirk deserved to die. The Associated Press reconstruction of Kimmel’s comments and the later controversy provides the relevant context.
The September 15 monologue and the “MAGA gang” remark
The most controversial remarks came during Kimmel’s opening monologue on September 15. The sentence most often quoted was:
“We hit some new lows over the weekend, with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”
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Kimmel was characterizing what he saw as an effort by Trump supporters and other MAGA-aligned figures to distance the accused killer from their political movement while using the killing to attack political opponents. That was Kimmel’s political argument. It should not be presented as an independently established finding that the accused killer was a MAGA supporter.
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The wording also explains why the controversy was more complicated than the short claim that Kimmel “attacked Charlie Kirk.” His principal targets in the September 15 monologue were the political reaction to the killing, Trump’s response, and the public handling of the investigation.
CNN’s transcript page reproduces the key September 15 excerpt and places it alongside the subsequent suspension controversy.
What Kimmel said about Trump
Kimmel mocked Trump’s response to Kirk’s death by comparing it to “how a 4-year-old mourns a goldfish,” according to the Associated Press. The joke was directed at Trump’s manner of responding—not at the fact that Kirk had been killed.
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What Kimmel said about Kash Patel
Kimmel also criticized FBI Director Kash Patel’s handling of the investigation. He compared Patel to “a kid who didn’t read the book” while improvising an oral report.
Again, this was a joke about the investigative response and Patel’s public presentation. It was not a claim that the shooting itself was unimportant. Kimmel’s monologue treated the killing as a serious event while attacking what he considered confused or opportunistic commentary from public officials and political supporters.
Why ABC suspended the show
On September 17, ABC suspended production of Jimmy Kimmel Live! indefinitely. CNN reported that the suspension followed warnings from FCC Chairman Brendan Carr and actions by ABC affiliates. The decision came two days after the monologue containing the “MAGA gang” line.
The sequence of events led to competing interpretations. Critics said Kimmel’s comments were offensive, politically inflammatory, or insensitive in the immediate aftermath of the shooting. Supporters argued that ABC had punished political speech and that Kimmel had plainly condemned the killing before criticizing the political response.
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Neither interpretation should erase the underlying wording. Kimmel’s September 12 comments condemned the killing. His September 15 monologue condemned what he viewed as political exploitation of it. The suspension controversy focused primarily on the latter.
When did Jimmy Kimmel return?
Disney announced on September 22 that Jimmy Kimmel Live! would return after what it described as thoughtful conversations with Kimmel. Kimmel returned to the show on September 23.
During his return, Kimmel said it had never been his intention to make light of Kirk’s murder or to blame a specific group for the accused killer’s actions. He acknowledged that some viewers might have found the comments ill-timed or unclear, while continuing to defend the broader principle of free expression. The Associated Press reported on both Disney’s decision and Kimmel’s return statement.
Selected transcript excerpts
The central September 15 excerpt is reproduced above because it is the sentence most directly connected to the controversy. The surrounding monologue included:
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- Kimmel’s criticism of efforts to assign or shift political blame after the shooting;
- his argument that some MAGA-aligned figures were trying to distance the accused killer from their movement;
- mockery of Trump’s response to Kirk’s death; and
- mockery of Kash Patel’s public handling of the investigation.
Because the complete monologue is copyrighted, it is not reproduced here in full. Readers looking for the full published transcript can consult the People/Yahoo transcript of Kimmel’s remarks. The linked transcript should be read alongside the September 12 account, since the controversy involved remarks from more than one broadcast.
Timeline of the controversy
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| September 10, 2025 | Utah officials said Charlie Kirk was shot at Utah Valley University and later pronounced dead at a hospital. |
| September 12, 2025 | Kimmel addressed the killing, calling it a senseless murder and condemning apparent celebrations of the death. |
| September 15, 2025 | Kimmel delivered the monologue containing the “MAGA gang” remark and jokes about Trump and Kash Patel. |
| September 17, 2025 | ABC suspended production of Jimmy Kimmel Live! indefinitely. |
| September 22, 2025 | Disney announced that the show would return. |
| September 23, 2025 | Kimmel returned and said he did not intend to make light of Kirk’s murder or blame a specific group for the accused killer’s actions. |
Where can viewers watch the show?
For legitimate viewing options, start with the show’s official ABC viewing page, which identifies ABC.com and the program’s official YouTube destination. Hulu has also listed Jimmy Kimmel Live! as a streaming series, although availability can vary by country, subscription, episode, and date. Check the current service listings before relying on a particular episode being available.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Jimmy Kimmel celebrate Charlie Kirk’s death?
No. The available reporting says Kimmel called the killing a “senseless murder,” condemned people who appeared to celebrate it, and expressed support for Kirk’s family and other victims of gun violence. His later criticism focused on the political response to the killing.
What was the controversial line from Jimmy Kimmel’s monologue?
Kimmel said that the “MAGA gang” was trying to characterize the accused killer as anything other than one of them while trying to score political points from the killing. This was Kimmel’s characterization of the political reaction, not an independently established finding that the accused killer was a MAGA supporter.
Why was Jimmy Kimmel’s show suspended?
ABC suspended production indefinitely on September 17, 2025, two days after the monologue. CNN reported that the suspension followed warnings from FCC Chairman Brendan Carr and actions by ABC affiliates. Disney later announced the show’s return, and Kimmel returned on September 23.
Where can I read the full transcript?
A published People/Yahoo transcript is available here: full published transcript. This article uses short excerpts and paraphrases rather than reproducing the copyrighted transcript in full.
The Bottom Line
Jimmy Kimmel’s comments were not a celebration of Charlie Kirk’s death. He condemned the shooting, then used his late-night monologue to criticize Trump, MAGA-aligned figures, and Kash Patel over what he viewed as the politicization and mishandling of the aftermath. The September 15 monologue triggered the backlash and ABC suspension, but the September 12 broadcast is essential context for understanding what Kimmel actually said about the killing itself.
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