Late-night television host Jimmy Kimmel delivered sharp criticism of President Donald Trump’s response to the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk during his Thursday night broadcast of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on ABC.
Kirk, the 31-year-old co-founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed on September 10, 2025, while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. The shooting occurred as Kirk addressed students from under a white pop-up tent, where he was struck in the neck by a sniper’s bullet.
The suspect, Tyler Robinson, 22, made his first court appearance on September 16, via video, following his arrest. At a news conference, the Utah County Attorney’s Office stated that Robinson faces charges of aggravated murder, obstruction of justice, and several other offenses. Prosecutors confirmed they plan to pursue the death penalty in the case.
During his September 11 monologue, Kimmel condemned the incident as senseless murder and expressed dismay at the polarized reactions to Kirk’s death. He noted that he had observed extraordinarily vile responses from both sides of the political spectrum, with some people celebrating the killing.
Kimmel’s primary criticism centered on Trump’s decision to blame Democrats for their rhetoric rather than attempting to unite the country during a time of violence. The television host compared Trump’s response to statements issued by former presidents Barack Obama, Joe Biden, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton, all of whom offered messages of unity and condolence following Kirk’s death.
“With all these terrible things happening, you would think that our president would at least make an attempt to bring us together, but he didn’t,” Kimmel stated during his broadcast.
Trump had released videotaped remarks on September 10 following Kirk’s death, claiming the radical left was directly responsible for the terrorism occurring in the country. The president announced on September 11 that he would posthumously award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, referring to the activist as a martyr for truth and freedom.
Kimmel countered Trump’s accusations by recounting several instances of inflammatory rhetoric from the president himself. He referenced Trump’s 2016 comment about Second Amendment people potentially taking action regarding Hillary Clinton, his statement about not minding if someone shot someone reporting fake news, and his remarks about Liz Cheney facing nine barrels of shooting at her for supporting his opponent.
The late-night host also mentioned Trump’s actions related to the Capitol incident and his September 11, 2001 claim that his building had become the tallest in New York following the attacks, which Kimmel noted was factually incorrect.
Prior to his Thursday broadcast, Kimmel had addressed Kirk’s death on Instagram, calling for an end to finger-pointing and asking people to agree that shooting another human being is horrible and monstrous. He extended condolences to Kirk’s family and all victims of senseless gun violence.
Fellow late-night host Stephen Colbert also addressed the shooting, delivering a solemn message before his September 10 episode of “The Late Show.” Colbert, who said he remembered the political violence of the 1960s, emphasized that political violence only leads to more political violence and expressed hope that Kirk’s killing was an aberrant action rather than a sign of future events.
During his Thursday show, Colbert added that, regardless of political disagreements with Kirk, he was a young father of two small children and an American with the constitutional right to express his opinions safely.
Kimmel also referenced another shooting that occurred on September 10 at a Colorado high school, where a male student shot and injured two peers before dying from self-inflicted injuries. He described this as the hundredth school shooting of the year.
The White House responded to Kimmel’s criticism through spokesperson Abigail Jackson, who defended Trump’s statements and accused Kimmel of dividing Americans through his television show. Jackson characterized Kimmel’s criticism as inappropriate following the death of someone she described as Trump’s dear friend.
Kirk, who was married to his wife Erika and had two young children, had co-founded Turning Point USA to foster conservative culture on college campuses nationwide. Utah Governor Spencer Cox characterized the shooting as a political assassination, and authorities continue their investigation into the suspect’s motives.
The incident generated significant reaction throughout the political spectrum, with Kirk’s death amplifying existing divisions and sparking debates about political rhetoric and violence in American discourse.