Jimmy Kimmel faces massive backlash for calling Charlie Kirk's killer MAGA

Jimmy Kimmel, the straightforward presenter of Jimmy Kimmel Live! show, sparked a national outcry on September 15, 2025, during his monologue. He implied that Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old arrested for the murder of Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk, was associated with the "MAGA gang."

Kimmel made the comment while criticizing President Donald Trump’s response on Kirk’s murder. He subsequently received national backlash from conservative opinion hosts and their audience for fabricating. 

Official reports, including FBI reports and the Utah Governor Spencer Cox, had all announced Robinson was promoting a "leftist ideology," completely contradicting Kimmel's story. His comment, made in a familiar style that combines wit and daring, seemed to simply satirize political opportunism, but instead spiralled into accusations of deliberately perverting a tragedy for humor.

Social media, particularly the platform X, was lit with criticism, with personalities ranging from Fox News to conservative strategists demanding Kimmel rescind his comments, and even Kimmel’s termination.

Jimmy Kimmel faces backlash over the Charlie Kirk assassination: The MAGA claim fallout

Kimmel's claim that Robinson was part of the 'MAGA gang' was clearly at odds with the investigative material related to the suspect's motives. On September 14, FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino told Fox News that the attack by Robinson was 'ideologically motivated', and it was rooted in 'anti-fascist beliefs', which was also backed up by Governor Cox in a press conference. The authorities then released text messages from Robinson to his roommate, a transgender woman, that showed Robinson was upset with Kirk’s rhetoric, saying, 'I had had enough of his [Kirk] hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.'

Texts from Robinson about his roommate’s support for protestors against police brutality and the FBI’s investigation into Robinson's associations with leftist groups in Utah added to the evidence that was contrary to Kimmel’s statements. 

On X, conservatives labeled Kimmel’s comments as a ‘gross mischaracterisation’, and others accused him of politicising Kirk's death. Supporters of Kimmel suggested that he was parodying the social media craze to take a tragedy and politicize it. In his Instagram post, he wrote:

"Instead of the angry finger-pointing, can we just for one day agree that it is horrible and monstrous to shoot another human being"

He was sad about Kirk's death and gave his condolences to all those-

"children, parents and innocents who fall victim to senseless gun violence".

Jimmy Kimmel's comments touch upon late-night duties as a cultural critic, which can often be inciting. Kimmel, famously critical of Trump and other conservatives, has created a comedy career for himself that mixes humor and sharp commentary about political events.

While many managed to quantify Kimmel's "MAGA" reference, for some, Kimmel's remarks were a comic shot at the bifurcation of rhetoric coming from Trump; for others, a fumbled, irresponsible twisting into an investigation that is still playing out in real time.

As late-night television balances its role during a politically polarised moment, the incident has made clear an effort to balance the leverage of pot-stirring, accountability, and truth into clinical discussions about tragic incidents. 

Fans can watch Jimmy Kimmel Live! on weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET on ABC, and episodes are available for streaming on Hulu the next day.

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