Thousands paid tribute, in person and online, to conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University’s “Vigil for Unity” Friday amid uproar over the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s late night show.
“My prayer is tonight, as we leave, we carry forward a renewed commitment to peace to respect and to unity,” Caleb Chilcutt, a UVU student and chapter member of Kirk’s Turning Point USA organization, said at the vigil.
Also Friday, Kimmel broke his silence since having his show pulled by network ABC following comments he made about the shooting of Kirk last week.
“Wow, it’s strange times out here,” Kimmel wrote in a text responding to his friend asking how he was. “I’m being followed by a helicopter.”
The network confirmed that Kimmel’s show would be suspended “indefinitely” after he said the “MAGA gang” was trying to “score political points” from Kirk’s assassination during his Monday monologue.
Kirk’s funeral is scheduled for Sunday in Glendale, Arizona. Law enforcement is monitoring several “threats” prior to the event due to the attendance of high-profile individuals, including Donald Trump and JD Vance.
Recap: Jimmy Kimmel show suspension
- ABC announced Wednesday it would suspend Jimmy Kimmel’s show “indefinitely.”
- The decision came after Federal Communications Commission Brendan Carr put pressure on broadcasters to “take action on Kimmel” after the comedian made comments about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
- “This is a very, very serious issue right now for Disney. We can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to take action on Kimmel or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead,” Carr told conservative podcaster Benny Johnson.
- Kimmel said on his show Monday night: “We had some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and with everything they can to score political points from it.”
- MAGA figures celebrated Kimmel’s show being pulled, with President Donald Trump saying it was “great news for America.”
- Others have criticized ABC’s decision as a violation of free speech protections.
Rachel Dobkin20 September 2025 04:45
Watch: AOC condemns cancelling Kimmel and the ‘weaponization’ of Charlie Kirk’s murder to ‘attack free speech’
AOC condemns cancelling Kimmel and the ‘weaponisation’ of Charlie Kirk’s murder
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has condemned the cancellation of Jimmy Kimmel Live and the “weaponization” of Charlie Kirk’s murder. Addressing the House of Representatives on Friday, AOC said that Congress needs to “unite” in order to stop “an all-out assault on free speech across the country”. She said that Donald Trump is threatening to shut down ABC and any outlets for allowing criticism of his administration. “This is a disgusting attack on the American people and the very First Amendment rights that define us as a country,” she said, also calling out ABC for their dismissal of Kimmel, saying it is their “responsibility to refuse to embolden and participate in this corruption and escalation of censorship.”
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has condemned the cancellation of Jimmy Kimmel Live and the “weaponization” of Charlie Kirk’s murder.
Addressing the House of Representatives on Friday, AOC said that Congress needs to “unite” in order to stop “an all-out assault on free speech across the country”.
She said that Donald Trump is threatening to shut down ABC and any outlets for allowing criticism of his administration.
“This is a disgusting attack on the American people and the very First Amendment rights that define us as a country,” she said, also calling out ABC for their dismissal of Kimmel, saying it is their “responsibility to refuse to embolden and participate in this corruption and escalation of censorship.”
Rachel Dobkin20 September 2025 08:00
Adam Schiff says ‘attack on Jimmy Kimmel’ is out of ‘dictator’s playbook’
Senator Adam Schiff, a California Democrat, criticized ABC’s decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel’s late show.
“The attack on Jimmy Kimmel is yet another page in the dictator’s playbook,” he wrote on X Friday. “When will my more of my Republicans colleagues recognize that traveling down this road does not end well for any of us?”
The decision to pause Kimmel’s show “indefinitely” comes after the comedian made comments about the assassination of Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist and ally to President Donald Trump.
Kimmel has been critical of Trump, and critics have noticed the show’s suspension came after FCC Chairman Brendan Carr put pressure on broadcasters to “take action on Kimmel.”
Rachel Dobkin20 September 2025 07:00
Lara Trump said if Donald wanted to take critics off the air there would ‘only be a handful’ of people left on TV
Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, told Fox News Thursday night if the president wanted to take his critics off the air, there would “only be a handful” of people left on TV.
Lara’s comments come after Trump suggested revoking FCC licenses from networks that largely air negative coverage of him.
Rachel Dobkin20 September 2025 06:30
Democrat explains her decision to vote for Charlie Kirk resolution
Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, a Washington Democrat, explained why she voted in favor of a resolution honoring the slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
“Charlie Kirk was a human being. He was a human being with a family who loved him,” the congresswoman said Friday. “We do not need to agree with the beliefs of everyone around us, but we do need to have the courage to see clearly how our hard heartedness, callousness, or indifference towards the humanity of others around us is tearing the country apart.”
The House passed the resolution Friday with 215 Republicans and 95 Democrats backing it.
Rachel Dobkin20 September 2025 06:00
Shots fired at ABC affiliate building
Shots were fired at a building housing an ABC affiliate in Sacramento, California, Friday afternoon, police say.
“We haven’t had a lot of attacks on our media partners, and we’d like to keep it that way,” Anthony Gamble, a public information officer for the Sacramento Police Department, told CBS Sacramento.
“This is unacceptable behavior. And so you know, to those that may have been responsible for this, and I hope you see this, we’re not going to stop looking for you. This is unacceptable behavior. It’s not going to be tolerated in Sacramento.”
Rachel Dobkin20 September 2025 05:45
Fox News host bashes ‘liberal networks’ for showing more concern about Jimmy Kimmel than Charlie Kirk
Fox News’ Kayleigh McEnany has bashed “liberal networks” for showing more concern about Jimmy Kimmel’s show being suspended than about the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
“For all the concern about the ‘the First Amendment, the First Amendment,’” McEnany told colleague Jesse Watters Friday night. “What about all the amendments that Charlie Kirk lost? Because Charlie Kirk has no amendments right now. None.”
Rachel Dobkin20 September 2025 05:30
In pictures: People protest outside of Disneyland
People protested outside of Disneyland in Anaheim, California, on Friday after Jimmy Kimmel’s late night show was suspended. Here are some photos:
Rachel Dobkin20 September 2025 05:15
Trump defends FCC chair amid backlash
President Donald Trump defended Federal Communications Chairman Brendan Carr Friday after he received backlash over the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s late night show.
Trump called Carr “an incredible American patriot with courage.”
Before ABC announced its decision to suspend Kimmel’s show, Carr put pressure on broadcasters to “take action” against Kimmel after comments he made in the wake of conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has called for Carr to resign, and Republican Senator Ted Cruz compared him to a “mafioso.”
Rachel Dobkin20 September 2025 05:00
Fox News host warns ‘no voice is safe’ after Jimmy Kimmel show suspension
Fox News’ Jessica Tarlov has warned “no voice is safe” after ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel’s late night show following comments the comedian made about Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
“This is how the First Amendment dies—when tragedy is weaponized to justify censorship. Regulatory threats can’t be the answer to speech we don’t like. If we let this stand, no voice is safe,” she said.
Rachel Dobkin20 September 2025 04:30
