Democratic California Rep. Eric Swalwell lamented late-night comedy host Jimmy Kimmel’s firing from ABC on Thursday while wearing a “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” hat.
ABC canceled Kimmel’s late-night show indefinitely on Wednesday in response to his “offensive” remarks about the assassination of Turning Point USA (TPUSA) founder Charlie Kirk. In response, Swalwell claimed on “CNN News Central” that Kimmel’s firing was a result of President Donald Trump being mad that the host made fun of him.
“I was a guest on the Jimmy Kimmel show. He, every night has a right to come into any house that wants to watch and entertain Americans just as Greg Gutfeld on Fox has a right to be not funny and go on his network and entertain Americans. It’s apart of who we are, John, and frankly it should shake every American that the President of the United States is out there firing comedians who make fun of him. That’s not who we are and every American should care and stand up to this,” Swalwell said.
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The cancellation of the show resulted from Kimmel falsely stating that the “MAGA gang” has attempted to characterize Kirk’s suspected assassin as “anything other than them” during his Monday monologue. He then played a clip of Trump discussing how he was “holding up” over the loss of Kirk, and compared the president’s reaction to how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish.
Nexstar Broadcasting Division President Andrew Alford called Kimmel’s remarks “offensive and insensitive” in a press release and suspended the program until Disney addressed the statements. ABC then announced the show had been “pre-empted indefinitely.”
Swalwell claimed that not enough information was out about the suspect in order for Kimmel to know any better. He then accused Trump of skipping Kirk’s memorial over the weekend to go play golf, even though he will attend his funeral and his TPUSA memorial on Sunday in Arizona.
The suspect, Tyler Robinson, subscribed to left-wing ideology in the past few years and particularly became “more pro-gay and trans-rights oriented,” authorities said on Tuesday. He lived with his transgender boyfriend, Lance Twiggs, who reportedly “hates conservatives and Christians,” the New York Post reported.
Before his arrest, authorities found bullet casings from the rifle used in the assassination, which contained a series of anti-fascist phrases, including “Hey fascist! Catch!” and “Bella ciao,” which matches an Italian song name that became a left-wing anthem during World War II.
Robinson texted Twiggs that he killed Kirk because of his so-called “hatred” and that “some hate can’t be negotiated out,” authorities said on Tuesday.
Kimmel previously celebrated the firing of Daily Caller News Foundation co-founder Tucker Carlson in 2023, calling it a “delightful shock.”
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