Charlie Kirk Dead

[Steel]

So this could be an episode of gang violence? Specifically, MAGA sub faction infighting. If one of Nick Fuentes groyper supporters is responsible, is it likely we see reprisals from the Kirk side?

[bilateralrope]

It could be. I don't want to see reprisal attacks, but if those happen, MAGA infighting would be the least bad option.

Though if the shooter is a Groypers, that also gives the Trump administration the ability to blow up the criminal case by trying to convince everyone that the he is a Democrat or further left.

[LadyTevar]

All the news media is reporting Robinson is "not cooperating" with the police, so the media is in a hunt for ANYTHING that might explain shit.

The whole "Roommate is Trans" seems to be a lie as well. There's no sources to back up the accusations.

[bilateralrope]

I wonder if "not cooperating" means he's exercising his right to remain silent. Or if he's telling the truth instead of what the cops to hear.

[Solauren]

Does anyone without Italian roots even know something as obscure as that?

It was a popular song for crooners to sing back in the 1960s, so maybe among a few people older than baby boomers.

Considering my grandmother used to play stuff from the 1940s and 1950s (she was born in 1936) when I was a teenager, and as a result I could probably sing along with the 'Little Bitty Buggle Boy from Company B' as a result, I'm willing to be anyone with even Italian roots would know.

[B5B7]

I don't know much about Charlie Kirk. But I've been told that he called empathy a sin. Which means a lot of people on the right are ignoring what he believed in favor of what they find convenient. As usual.

It's ridiculous how details seem to be so fluid. Reuters wrote below that it was a family member. Watching videos and other sources, they outright say it was the father and it was just him that turned him in. Other sources have said he was a registered Republican, but then Reuters wrote he was non-affiliated. Definitely a reminder to myself that even sources I trust may not get it right.

At least there isn't anything pointing to him being a democrat until people look deeper, unlike the guy who shot at Trump.

There was an older man, with the same name as the shooter, who did the Democrat donation. Further investigation revealed that this older man was not the same person as the shooter. The shooter was definitely Republican.

[bilateralrope]

I don't know much about Charlie Kirk. But I've been told that he called empathy a sin. Which means a lot of people on the right are ignoring what he believed in favor of what they find convenient. As usual.

It's ridiculous how details seem to be so fluid. Reuters wrote below that it was a family member. Watching videos and other sources, they outright say it was the father and it was just him that turned him in. Other sources have said he was a registered Republican, but then Reuters wrote he was non-affiliated. Definitely a reminder to myself that even sources I trust may not get it right.

At least there isn't anything pointing to him being a democrat until people look deeper, unlike the guy who shot at Trump.

There was an older man, with the same name as the shooter, who did the Democrat donation. Further investigation revealed that this older man was not the same person as the shooter. The shooter was definitely Republican.

Snopes has an article on that. The address on the filing matched the shooters address.

But the shooter was a registered Republican.

[Solauren]

So a registered Republican can't go 'you know what, I like that Democrat, what the hell....' and donate money to them?

[EnterpriseSovereign]

ABC pulls ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ off air ‘indefinitely’ over Charlie Kirk comments

US talk show host Jimmy Kimmel has had his programme pulled over "offensive and insensitive" comments about Charlie Kirk.

Kimmel, the veteran late-night comic, made several comments about the reaction to Kirk’s assassination on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Monday and Tuesday nights, including that “many in MAGA land are working very hard to capitalise on the murder of Charlie Kirk.”

During his monologue on Monday night, Kimmel criticised Republicans for how they responded to Kirk’s killing.

“The MAGA gang [is] 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.

Kimmel said that Donald Trump’s response to Kirk’s death “is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he called a friend. This is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish, OK?”

He also said that FBI chief Kash Patel has handled the investigation into the killing “like a kid who didn’t read the book, BSing his way through an oral report.”

Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar's broadcasting division, said it "strongly objects" to Kimmel's comments.

Kimmel’s comments about Kirk’s death “are offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse,” said Alford.

At a press conference with Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Chequers on Thursday, Trump praised the news of Kimmel’s suspension and brushed off suggestions that his departure was an infringement of free speech.

He claimed Kimmel's show was suspended because he “is not a talented person” and had “very bad ratings”.

“Well, Jimmy Kimmel was fired because he had bad ratings, more than anything else," he said.

“And he said a horrible thing about a great gentleman known as Charlie Kirk.

“And Jimmy Kimmel is not a talented person. He had very bad ratings, and they should have fired him a long time ago.

“So, you know, you could call that free speech or not. He was fired for lack of talent.”

Trump has also targeted two other late-night hosts, Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers, and said they should be cancelled too, calling them “two total losers".

The move comes as the president, his administration and political party have stepped up their effort to police speech about Kirk’s death. Vance, earlier this week, urged Americans to turn in fellow citizens who mocked the assassination.

Since Kirk was killed, institutions from airlines to schools have moved quickly to discipline employees accused of celebrating or mocking his death, but Kimmel’s removal is by far the highest-profile move yet.

The move is also perceived as the latest effort by the administration to use its power to lean on the media.

Both celebrities and politicians have condemned the move widely on social media.

"This isn't right," actor and director Ben Stiller wrote on X.

Comedian Wanda Sykes shared a video on Instagram, explaining that she was scheduled to appear on the show on Wednesday night.

"Let's see. He didn't end the Ukraine war or solve Gaza within his first week, but he did end freedom of speech within his first year," she said, referencing President Donald Trump.

"For those of you who pray, now's the time to do it. Love you, Jimmy."

Singer Halsey also wrote on her Instagram story: "We're in the 'tell on your friends and neighbours', 'extreme censorship', 'indistinguishable propaganda' part of fascism, in case that isn't clear."

Actress Sophia Bush wrote on X: "The First Amendment doesn't exist in America anymore. Period. Fascism is here and it's chilling."

Meanwhile, politicians also appeared to criticise the decision to suspend the show.

Democratic Senator Chris Murphy posted a video on X, and said: "It's happening.

"The takedown of Jimmy Kimmel is likely the start of a campaign to use the murder of Charlie Kirk as a pretext to use the power of the White House to wipe out Trump's critics and his political opponents," he said.

"But we aren't powerless. We can mobilise and organise. Now."

The Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, who has been a fierce critic of President Trump, called the move "dangerous".

He wrote: "Buying and controlling media platforms. Firing commentators. Cancelling shows. These aren't coincidences, it's coordinated.

"And it's dangerous. The Republican Party does not believe in free speech. They are censoring you in real time."

Condemnation also came from the Governor of New York, Kathy Hochul; Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer; and former presidential candidate Cory Booker.

The abrupt removal of Jimmy Kimmel Live comes after fellow late-night host Stephen Colbert saw his programme cancelled, which fans claimed was a result of his criticism of Trump.

Colbert's Late Show won an Emmy for outstanding talk series for the first time at the weekend.

[bilateralrope]

So a registered Republican can't go 'you know what, I like that Democrat, what the hell....' and donate money to them?

Other way round. He donated to the democrat party in January 2021. Then registered republican when he turned 18 that september.

Though Reuters does have an interesting detail about his parents

The political split showed up in the Crooks household. Thomas was a registered Republican. His father is a Libertarian and his mother is a Democrat, voter registration records show. Both are social workers. When Crooks was 17, he made a $15 donation to a political action committee earmarked for a Democratic turnout group, according to federal election data.

How willing was that donation ?

[Solauren]

Any how do you prove it's them anyway? I have no idea how those donations work. Do you have to provide photo ID?

[bilateralrope]

ABC pulls ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ off air ‘indefinitely’ over Charlie Kirk comments

Kimmel to be reinstated after suspension over Charlie Kirk comments

ABC will reinstate Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show in the wake of criticism over his comments about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, officials with the network said Tuesday.

"We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday (local time),” said a statement from the network.

ABC suspended Kimmel indefinitely after comments he made about Kirk, who was killed on September 10, in a monologue. Kimmel said “many in MAGA land are working very hard to capitalise on the murder of Charlie Kirk” and that “the MAGA gang” was “desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them”.

Kimmel has hosted Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC since 2003 and has been a fixture in television and comedy for even longer. He is also well known as a presenter, having hosted the Academy Awards four times.

Backlash to Kimmel’s comments about Kirk was swift. Nexstar and Sinclair, two of ABC’s largest affiliate owners, said they would be pulling Jimmy Kimmel Live! from their stations. Others, including several fellow comedians, came to his defence.

President Donald Trump, one of Kimmel’s frequent targets, posted on social media that Kimmel’s suspension was “great news for America”. He also called for other late-night hosts to be fired.

Kimmel was asked in an interview with Variety this past summer if he was worried that the administration would come after comedians. He expressed concern that a crackdown could be on the way.

“Well, you’d have to be naive not to worry a little bit,” he said. “But that can’t change what you’re doing.”

Kimmel’s suspension arrived at a time when Trump and his administration have pursued threats, lawsuits and federal government pressure to try to exert more control over the media industry. Trump has reached settlements with ABC and CBS over their coverage.

Trump has also filed defamation lawsuits against The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. Republicans in Congress stripped federal funding from NPR and PBS.

Brendan Carr, the head of the Federal Communications Commission, issued a warning prior to Kimmel’s suspension that criticised Kimmel’s remarks about the Kirk assassination.

“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr said. “These companies can find ways to change conduct, to take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”

The suspension also happened at a time when the late-night landscape is shifting. CBS announced the cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s show over the summer

Kimmel’s contract with The Walt Disney Co-owned network had been set to expire in May 2026.

Word of the reinstatement came as hundreds of Hollywood and Broadway stars — including Robert De Niro, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Selena Gomez, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep — urged Americans “fight to defend and preserve our constitutionally protected rights” in the wake of Jimmy Kimmel's suspension.

More than 430 movie, TV and stage stars, as well as comedians, directors and writers, added their names to an open letter Monday from the American Civil Liberties Union that argues it is “a dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation”.

Also Tuesday, ABC's “The View” weighed in on the controversy after not raising it for two episodes after Kimmel was suspended. Co-host Whoopi Goldberg opened the show saying: “No one silences us” and she and her fellow hosts condemned Disney's decision.

It sounds like all the canceled Disney+ subscriptions hurt a lot more than whatever pain Carr was threatening.

[EnterpriseSovereign]

I'm surprised Kimmel didn't take his show to a rival network, if one was available.

[Solauren]

Problem is, any rival network would have had the FCC threatening them too.

It was either wait for ABC, or probably move off anything the FCC regulates.

[bilateralrope]

Don't forget about Kimmel's contract

Kimmel’s contract with The Walt Disney Co-owned network had been set to expire in May 2026.

That likely comes with major restrictions on where else he can work until it ends.

or probably move off anything the FCC regulates.

Don't forget about suing the FCC. Disney/ABC probably already calculated how much that could cost before they canceled Kimmel.

[bilateralrope]

Sinclair gets nothing it asked for, puts Jimmy Kimmel back on anyway

Sorry, Brendan Carr: Sinclair and Nexstar stop preempting Kimmel on ABC affiliates.

Jon Brodkin – Sep 27, 2025 8:26 AM |

Conservative broadcaster Sinclair is putting Jimmy Kimmel Live! back on the air. In a statement today, Sinclair said it will end its preemption of the show on its ABC affiliates starting tonight, even though ABC and owner Disney haven't accepted its request for an ombudsman and other changes.

Facing the threat of lost advertising dollars, Sinclair said it "received thoughtful feedback from viewers, advertisers, and community leaders representing a wide range of perspectives." Nexstar separately announced an end to its blackout of Kimmel shortly after this article published.

Sinclair said its decision to preempt Kimmel "was independent of any government interaction or influence." Sinclair's preempting of Kimmel last week came just as Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr said TV station owners that didn't preempt the show could lose their FCC licenses.

Sinclair last week said it wouldn't air Kimmel on its stations "until formal discussions are held with ABC regarding the network's commitment to professionalism and accountability." Sinclair at the time praised Carr for his stance against Kimmel and urged the FCC to "take immediate regulatory action to address control held over local broadcasters by the big national networks."

Sinclair also announced it would air a special in remembrance of Kirk in Kimmel's time slot, but then decided to put it on YouTube instead.

Ombudsman and other requests “not yet adopted”

Sinclair said it didn't get anything it asked for in its discussions with ABC. The company's statement today said:

In our ongoing and constructive discussions with ABC, Sinclair proposed measures to strengthen accountability, viewer feedback, and community dialogue, including a network-wide independent ombudsman. These proposals were suggested as collaborative efforts between the ABC affiliates and the ABC network. While ABC and Disney have not yet adopted these measures, and Sinclair respects their right to make those decisions under our network affiliate agreements, we believe such measures could strengthen trust and accountability.

Our decision to preempt this program was independent of any government interaction or influence. Free speech provides broadcasters with the right to exercise judgment as to the content on their local stations. While we understand that not everyone will agree with our decisions about programming, it is simply inconsistent to champion free speech while demanding that broadcasters air specific content.

Sinclair's request for an ombudsman is reminiscent of Carr requiring an ombudsman at CBS in exchange for a merger approval. Carr described the CBS ombudsman as a "bias monitor.

Kimmel was suspended by ABC after a monologue in which he said, "We hit 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." Kimmel returned to the air Tuesday and criticized Carr's attempts to suppress speech. Kimmel also said that "it was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man," or "to blame any specific group for the actions of what was obviously a deeply disturbed individual."

Kimmel said that due to preemptions by Sinclair and Nexstar, the show was not being broadcast in 20 percent of the country. Nexstar, which is trying to complete a $6.2 billion purchase of Tegna and needs the FCC to relax its ownership-cap rule, hasn't said when or if it will stop preempting Kimmel's show. Sinclair operates 38 ABC affiliate stations, while Nexstar has 28.

Nexstar said on Wednesday that it will continue preempting Kimmel "pending assurance that all parties are committed to fostering an environment of respectful, constructive dialogue in the markets we serve." We contacted Nexstar today and will update this story if it provides a response.

Update at 4:55pm ET: Nexstar announced today that it is also putting Kimmel back on the air starting tonight. "We have had discussions with executives at The Walt Disney Company and appreciate their constructive approach to addressing our concerns," Nexstar said in a statement provided to Ars. Nexstar did not provide any details on the discussions, but said it "remains committed to protecting the First Amendment while producing and airing local and national news that is fact-based and unbiased and, above all, broadcasting content that is in the best interest of the communities we serve."

Sanders: Broadcasters shouldn’t cave to Trump

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) urged Nexstar to "immediately restore Jimmy Kimmel to viewers in Vermont and across the US," and said that "decisions about what Americans watch shouldn't be dictated by political pressure... Broadcasters should not cave in to an authoritarian-type president who can't accept criticism."

Carr took heat from both Democrats and Republicans after pressuring ABC to suspend Kimmel and threatening station licenses. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) told NBC's Meet the Press that Carr threatening Disney was "absolutely inappropriate," and that "Brendan Carr has got no business weighing in on this." Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) compared Carr to a mafioso, saying his threat was "right outta Goodfellas." Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) agreed with Cruz.

Carr tried to deny that he threatened to revoke TV licenses despite having made the threat in public. Carr said on a right-wing commentator's podcast that licensed broadcasters airing Kimmel "are running the possibility of fines or license revocations from the FCC" if they "continue to run content that ends up being a pattern of news distortion."

Carr remained defiant after ABC brought Kimmel back. "Democrats just keep digging themselves a deeper & deeper hole on Kimmel," he wrote. "They simply can't stand that local TV stations—for the first time in years—stood up to a national programmer & chose to exercise their lawful right to preempt programming."

Kimmel said during his return show that it was "not a particularly intelligent threat to make in public. Ted Cruz said he sounded like a mafioso, although I don't know. If you want to hear a mob boss make a threat like that, you have to hide a microphone in a deli and park outside in a van with a tape recorder all night long. This genius said it on a podcast."

They tried caving in to Trump's threats. They all regretted it.

[LadyTevar]

I am hearing a rumor that the Superbowl is having trouble finding a Country Music Act to sign on, because they're planning a Charlie Kirk Memorial and no one wants to touch it.

Part of me is proud that so far all those approached have backed away fast.
Makes me wonder what the Planners will do first -- find a second-teir act, or drop the Memorial.