Turning Point USA Says Kimmel’s Statements Not Good Enough After Return

A spokesperson for the Charlie Kirk-founded group issued a response to the late-night host’s return to ABC.

Jimmy Kimmel delivers his opening monologue at the 96th Academy Awards in Los Angeles on March 10, 2024. Mike Blake/Reuters

A spokesperson for Turning Point USA said that Jimmy Kimmel’s comments on his show after he returned on Tuesday from an ABC suspension are not sufficient, asserting that the late-night TV host made false statements that need correcting.

Andrew Kolvet, a spokesperson for the group that was co-founded by Charlie Kirk in 2012, said that Kimmel needs to address his previous comments before ABC suspended him this past week.

“Not good enough. Jimmy, it’s simple,” Kolvet wrote on X on Sept. 24. “Here’s what you need to say: ‘I’m sorry for saying the shooter was MAGA. He was not. He was of the left. I apologize to the Kirk family for lying. Please accept my sincere apology. I will do better. I was wrong.’”

He was referring to Kimmel’s comments during a monologue that appeared to insinuate that the suspected assassin of Kirk on Sept. 10 was a supporter of President Donald Trump. Prosecutors and local officials have said that the suspect, Tyler Robinson, had left-wing viewpoints.

Kimmel stated that the “MAGA gang” was “desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them” and of attempting to “score political points from it,” referring to the Make America Great Again slogan used by Trump and his supporters.

Days later, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr told CNBC that Kimmel’s comment about Robinson was “not a joke.”

“It was appearing to directly mislead the American public about a significant fact that probably one of the most significant political events we’ve had in a long time, for the most significant political assassination we’ve seen in a long time,” he said.

Carr has also said that under the FCC’s rules, ABC, NBC, and CBS are subject to special guidelines because those broadcast channels use public airwaves. Outlets such as Fox News or CNN are not subject to the same rules, he added.

During his Tuesday monologue, Kimmel stated that he wants “to make something clear because it’s important to me as a human: And that is you understand it was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man,” adding: “I don’t think there’s anything funny about it.”

He also said that Robinson appeared to be a “deeply disturbed individual” and added that he did not intend “to blame any specific group for [Kirk’s murder].”

“I understand that to some, that felt either ill-timed or unclear, or maybe both,” the host said. “And for those who think I did point a finger, I get why you’re upset. If the situation was reversed, there’s a good chance I’d have felt the same way.”

In a response on his Truth Social platform, Trump criticized ABC for allowing Kimmel back on the air.

“I can’t believe ABC Fake News gave Jimmy Kimmel his job back,” he wrote. “The White House was told by ABC that his Show was cancelled!”

Trump said that the administration is “going to test ABC out on this.”

Sinclair and Nexstar, which own more than 60 local ABC affiliate stations, said this week that they will preempt Kimmel’s show in response to ABC’s recent decision.

ABC has not responded to an Epoch Times request for comment on Wednesday.