Jimmy Fallon has broken his silence in relation to fellow talk show host Jimmy Kimmel’s show being abruptly pulled from the air.
Kimmel’s late-night talk show was removed indefinitely earlier this week following a firestorm over remarks he made regarding the assassination of of conservative activist Charlie Kirk last Wednesday, September 10.
The suspension, confirmed Sept. 17, by Sinclair Broadcast Group – the largest ABC affiliate network in the U.S. – came as mounting pressure from political groups and public backlash grew impossible to ignore.
Charlie Kirk, a right wing political activist and influencer, was shot dead while speaking at Utah Valley University as part of his American Comeback tour. 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, of Utah, was taken into custody two days later.
Days after Kirk’s death, Kimmel addressed the incident on his Sept 15 broadcast. Rather than offering condolences, the comedian took direct aim at Trump’s bizarre public reaction to Kirk’s death.
During the segment, Kimmel played a clip of Trump being asked how he was “holding up” following the assassination of his friend. Trump responded awkwardly with, “I think very good,” then abruptly shifted focus – ignoring the gravity of the question – and began discussing new construction at the White House.
“And by the way, right there you see all the trucks. 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,” Trump told the reporter.
Kimmel’s response was biting: “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, okay?”
He later added: “There’s something wrong with him, there really is. Who thinks like that? We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to paint this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything but one of their own, while doing everything they can to turn it into political points. In between the finger-pointing, there was grieving.”
By September 17, with the next episode of Kimmel’s show scheduled to tape in Hollywood, ABC – under pressure from its affiliate network – pulled the plug without warning.
“Great News for America: The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED,” Trump wrote on Truth Social after the shock news broke.
“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. That leaves Jimmy and Seth, two total losers, on Fake News NBC. Their ratings are also horrible. Do it NBC!!!”
A number of high profile politicians and figures in the entertainment world have hit out at the censoring of Kimmel. Among them was Jimmy Fallon, whose name was also mentioned in Trump’s rant after Kimmel’s show got the axe.
Tonight Show Host Fallon said: “To be honest with you all, I don’t know what’s going on — no one does.
“But I do know Jimmy Kimmel, and he is a decent, funny and loving guy. And I hope he comes back.”
Fallon’s monologue also poked fun at the situation by censoring several of the punchlines to jokes about Trump.
What do you make of the decision to pull Kimmel’s show? Let us know in the comments.