Barack Obama addresses Jimmy Kimmel's 'indefinite' suspension over Charlie Kirk comments
Following ABC's announcement that Jimmy Kimmel Live! has been 'indefinitely' suspended over remarks the presenter made about Charlie Kirk's assassination, Barack Obama has given his take on the situation.
For those unfamiliar with the on-screen scandal, speaking on Monday night's (14 September) episode, Kimmel reflected on the week's gruesome events, telling viewers: "We had some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and with everything they can to score political points from it."
Right-wing activist Kirk was fatally shot while hosting an event at Utah Valley University on the Wednesday prior, sustaining a wound to his neck from a single bullet while answering a question about gun violence.
Kirk's political ally, Donald Trump, later announced his death.
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22-year-old Tyler Robinson was later identified as a suspect in the shooting, having been charged with aggravated murder.
What else did Jimmy Kimmel say?
Discussing the numerous interviews the president gave in the days following the assassination earlier this week, 57-year-old Kimmel poked fun at him, as well as his administration as a whole.
He began his rant by sharing a clip of Trump being asked how he was 'holding up' in the wake of the killing, after which the politician claimed he was 'very good' before moving the conversation on to his White House renovations.
"And by the way, right there you see all the trucks," the 79-year-old continued. "They just started construction of the new ballroom for the White House, which is something they’ve been trying to get for about 150 years. And it's gonna be a beauty. It'll be an absolutely magnificent structure."
Discussing Trump's comments, Kimmel jibed: "He’s at the fourth stage of grief: construction. This is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he called a friend. This is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish, OK?"
The presenter and comedian also shared a clip of Trump being asked about the attack, after which he, once again, brought up his latest construction project.
"Oh, when I heard [about Kirk’s shooting]? I was in the midst of building a great... for 150 years, they’ve wanted a ballroom at the White House," he continued, spurring Kimmel to tell his live audience on Monday: "There’s something wrong with him, there really is. Who thinks like that?"
How did ABC respond?
The following days saw ABC producers announce that Kimmel's show had been pulled 'indefinitely', while Nexstar Media Group - the largest owner of US television stations - vowed to no longer air his panel show.
"Nexstar strongly objects to recent comments made by Mr Kimmel concerning the killing of Charlie Kirk and will replace the show with other programming in its ABC-affiliated markets," the firm announced.
Representatives of Sinclair - the channel's biggest affiliate group - have since spoken out, claiming more needs to be done to reprimand the presenter, and demanding Kimmel issue a 'direct apology' to Kirk's family.
In a damning threat made online, the firm also requested the star 'make a meaningful personal donation to the Kirk Family and Turning Point USA', the latter referencing the far-right, Christian movement Kirk founded in 2012.
"Regardless of ABC’s plans for the future of the program, Sinclair intends not to return 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' to our air until we are confident that appropriate steps have been taken to uphold the standards expected of a national broadcast platform," it concluded.
What has Barack Obama said?
Speaking on social media, Barack Obama has since defended Kimmel, issuing a passionate statement against cancel culture on Twitter.
"After years of complaining about cancel culture, the current administration has taken it to a new and dangerous level by routinely threatening regulatory action against media companies unless they muzzle or fire reporters and commentators it doesn’t like," the 64-year-old former Democratic leader said.
"This is precisely the kind of government coercion that the First Amendment was designed to prevent — and media companies need to start standing up rather than capitulating to it."
How did Trump respond?
Long-time Kimmel critic Trump has also had his say on the show's cancellation, writing on Truth Social: "Great News for America: The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED. Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done.
"Kimmel has ZERO talent, and worse ratings than even Colbert, if that’s possible."
He continued: "That leaves Jimmy and Seth, two total losers, on Fake News NBC. Their ratings are also horrible. Do it NBC!!! President DJT."
Topics: Jimmy Kimmel, Politics, US News, Celebrity, Barack Obama, Donald Trump
Rhianna Benson