Television host John Oliver threw his weight behind comedian-host Jimmy Kimmel in the latest episode of Last Week Tonight, days after the latter was taken off the air by ABC.
On Sunday, Oliver addressed the situation on his HBO show. “A person getting shot is tragic and a person getting shot for their ideas is horrifying,” he said. “That is true no matter what those ideas are. Some are now willing to weaponise Kirk’s death to do things they’ve been wanting to do for years… all of which brings us back to Jimmy Kimmel”.
Oliver clarified that the comments that led to Kimmel’s suspension were not about Kirk’s death itself, quoting Kimmel’s social media post: “Can we just for one day agree that it is horrible and monstrous to shoot another human? On behalf of my family, we send love to the Kirks and to all the children, parents, and innocents who fall victim to senseless gun violence”.
Oliver added that Kimmel’s monologue contained only a passing reference to the alleged ideology of the shooter and defended the host against claims of offensiveness.
Kimmel’s show was indefinitely suspended following remarks about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The decision came after federal communications commission chair Brendan Carr threatened potential action against ABC affiliates over Kimmel’s comment suggesting the shooting suspect, Tyler Robinson, was a MAGA Republican.
“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said on his show.
Station owners Nexstar and Sinclair announced they would not air Jimmy Kimmel Live! following the controversy, prompting Disney to suspend Kimmel indefinitely. The move has drawn criticism from Hollywood figures, politicians, and members of the public, many accusing Disney of yielding to political pressure.
Oliver also criticised Nexstar and Sinclair for quickly complying with Carr’s remarks, because their pending mergers require FCC approval. “Look, the sequence of events here could not be clearer because it was all done in plain view,” Oliver said. “Carr leaned on broadcasters to take down Kimmel… that sure seems like a pretty clear case of the government pressuring companies to censor speech.”
Oliver called Kimmel’s suspension a “turning point”, emphasising the importance of free speech and urging Disney to stand by the host and his staff. He then went on to directly address Disney CEO Bob Iger. “At some point, you’re going to have to draw a line… why not stand up and use four key words that they don’t tend to teach you in business school.”