Jimmy Kimmel is facing one of the harshest backlashes of his late-night career after remarks he made about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk sparked fury across the country. During his Monday night monologue, Kimmel touched on the killing in a segment that critics described as mocking and cruel, and almost immediately, calls for his firing flooded social media. The moment has now become a flashpoint in America’s ongoing culture wars, with Trump supporters demanding that ABC cancel his show outright. Fox News confirmed that executives at the network are already holding urgent meetings to assess the fallout.
The controversy began when Kimmel was asked about the current political climate, and he pivoted to the Utah assassination of Charlie Kirk. “When rhetoric gets heated, sometimes there are consequences,” he said, before adding with a smirk, “maybe some people should be more careful about the stages they choose to stand on.” The remark drew audible gasps from his studio audience, with some applauding nervously while others sat in uncomfortable silence. The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that the joke was quickly clipped and shared online, where conservative influencers seized on it as proof that Hollywood openly disrespects conservative lives.
Within minutes, Turning Point USA — the organization Kirk founded — blasted Kimmel in a furious statement, accusing him of using murder as comedy. “Jimmy Kimmel thinks assassinations are funny,” the group wrote on X. “ABC should cut ties with him immediately.” Former Trump advisor Sebastian Gorka piled on, calling Kimmel a “disgrace to the profession,” while petitions demanding his termination began spreading rapidly across social platforms. Newsweek reported that one petition had amassed more than 75,000 signatures in under 12 hours.
Jimmy Kimmel joked about Charlie Kirk’s assassination. Absolutely vile. ABC should cancel his show tonight. — @bennyjohnson
For many conservatives, the moment felt like confirmation of long-held suspicions about Hollywood. Commentators across right-wing media pointed out that had a liberal figure been killed, no comedian would dare make light of it on national television. The Washington Examiner called the remarks “an open wound deliberately poked for laughs,” while Fox personalities compared it to what they described as years of “smug derision” aimed at conservatives in late-night comedy. Some even argued that advertisers should pull sponsorship from Kimmel’s program until ABC takes disciplinary action.
But not everyone agreed with the outrage. Several Hollywood colleagues defended Kimmel, insisting his words were being taken out of context. Comedian Sarah Silverman argued online that he was warning about polarization, not celebrating violence, though even she admitted his tone came across as too sharp for such a tragic moment. One audience member told NBC News that Kimmel seemed “deadly serious about the dangers of toxic rhetoric,” but that his sarcasm made it easy for opponents to spin the remark as heartless.
Kimmel wasn’t celebrating Kirk’s death — he was pointing to America’s toxic climate. But sarcasm doesn’t work when families are grieving. — @SarahKSilverman
Family members of Charlie Kirk have not spoken publicly about Kimmel’s comments, but allies close to them expressed outrage. A longtime Turning Point organizer told The Washington Post that the joke was “pouring salt in an open wound.” The Kirk family is reportedly focusing on funeral arrangements, but friends say they were stunned to see Kirk’s death used as a comedy punchline before he was even laid to rest. Conservative commentator Megyn Kelly added her voice to the backlash, saying: “This isn’t about politics — it’s about basic decency.”
Jimmy Kimmel’s joke about Charlie Kirk’s assassination isn’t comedy. It’s cruelty. ABC must choose: keep him or respect grieving families. — @charliekirk11
The incident has quickly bled into politics. Several Republican lawmakers accused Kimmel of normalizing political violence, while others warned that ABC’s silence would be interpreted as tacit approval. Senator Josh Hawley demanded that the network issue an apology, and House conservatives began circulating letters calling for hearings into “media double standards.” On the other side, Democratic lawmakers urged caution, saying comedians should not be silenced for controversial jokes, but some admitted Kimmel’s timing was “tone-deaf.” CNN reported that ABC executives are closely monitoring advertiser reactions before making a decision.
The outrage has fueled a wave of hashtags, with #FireKimmel and #BoycottABC both trending overnight. Thousands of Trump supporters pledged to avoid ABC programming until Kimmel is fired, while progressive users accused conservatives of weaponizing grief for political gain. Business Insider described the digital uproar as “a cultural lightning rod,” noting that similar boycotts in the past have put significant pressure on networks to act swiftly.
Kimmel crossed a line. It’s not about politics, it’s about humanity. Families are mourning. ABC must act. — @MegynKelly
For Kimmel, who has often leaned into political humor, the controversy may represent the most serious challenge of his career. Unlike past spats with Trump supporters, this moment intersects with real tragedy, heightening the stakes. According to The Los Angeles Times, even some within Hollywood worry that his brand of sarcastic commentary has hit a breaking point. “It’s one thing to mock politicians,” said one unnamed producer. “It’s another to mock the dead. Even if it wasn’t intentional, that’s how it feels to people.”
At the same time, free speech advocates argue that comedians should not be held to the same standards as news anchors or politicians. They point out that Kimmel has a long history of controversial jokes, and that late-night television thrives on boundary-pushing humor. Still, as The Guardian observed, the sheer intensity of the backlash suggests this is not just another social media storm, but a test of where the line truly lies in America’s cultural divide.
As of Wednesday morning, Kimmel has not issued a statement, and his publicists have declined multiple requests for comment. Industry insiders told Deadline that ABC is debating whether to ask him to apologize on air or to ride out the controversy in silence. Either choice carries risks: apologizing could be seen as weakness, while silence may inflame demands for cancellation. Advertisers are reportedly tracking the blowback closely, with at least one major sponsor said to be reconsidering its future ad buys, according to The Wall Street Journal.
For many Americans, the uproar illustrates just how fragile the nation’s cultural fabric has become. A single late-night remark has transformed into a national controversy, dividing families, dominating headlines, and pulling grieving communities back into the spotlight. As Kirk’s funeral approaches, his supporters say they want space to mourn — but instead, they are once again thrust into a political and media storm, this time over a comedian’s attempt at satire gone horribly wrong.