Conservatives say Kimmel's clarifications on Charlie Kirk remarks fall short

Jimmy Kimmel returned to his late-night show Tuesday after Disney lifted a suspension that had paused production for nearly a week. In his first show back since the controversy began, Kimmel addressed remarks about the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, saying he did not intend to mock the crime and that making light of it was never his aim. He teared up briefly while referencing a post he sent to Kirk’s family the day of the attack and insisted his comments were misunderstood by some viewers.

Kimmel acknowledged that his earlier remarks, including suggesting the alleged killer might be aligned with the MAGA movement, were ill-timed or unclear. He said the killer was a deeply disturbed individual and stressed that the actions of one person do not reflect any political movement. “It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man,” he said, adding that if the situation were reversed, he might feel similarly upset. The host asserted that he did not feel the killer represented anyone or any group, and that violence is never a solution.

The remarks touched off swift backlash from conservatives close to Kirk. Andrew Kolvet, a close friend and executive producer of Kirk’s program, said Kimmel’s clarifications were “not good enough” and offered to help craft a more formal apology. Other Kirk allies echoed the criticism: independent journalist Jack Posobiec accused Kimmel of feigning emotion and manipulating viewers, while Benny Johnson, host of The Benny Show and TPUSA Productions founder, called him a “sick liar” for the remarks.

Some critics went further. Rob Schneider, an actor who has publicly supported Kirk, argued on social media that Kimmel’s suspension was warranted and that his attempts to clarify were disingenuous. Jerry Dunleavy, Just the News’ chief investigative correspondent, characterized Kimmel’s explanation as an attempt to rewrite the record, suggesting the host implied the killer’s ideology was linked to conservatives. James Woods joined the chorus, condemning Kimmel for labeling conservatives as fascists and arguing that such rhetoric can have dangerous consequences on public discourse.

Disney said the decision to suspend production last Wednesday was made to avoid inflaming an already tense moment in the country. The company noted that it had spent the intervening days in thoughtful conversations with Kimmel, and after those discussions, decided to return the show on Tuesday. Fox News Digital’s Lindsay Kornick contributed to this report.