Entertainment

Jimmy Kimmel: Cancellation And Consequences

Kimmel abused his platform over the years, embracing nuclear-grade hypocrisy.

   DailyWire.com
Jimmy Kimmel: Cancellation And Consequences
Michael Tullberg/FilmMagic

“Not good riddance, but riddance.”

That was late-night host Jimmy Kimmel’s reaction way back in 2017 to a question about pushing his right-leaning fans away with his progressive transformation. This transformation only grew more pronounced during Trump 2.0.

It culminated in one of the ghastliest comments ever uttered by a late-night host:

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 doing everything they can to score political points from it.

The public knew enough at that point to assume the killer targeted Kirk for his conservative views. More information came out the same day of Kimmel’s comments to seal the sad deal on the matter.

His lie ricocheted around social media and podcasts while legacy media outlets looked the other way. Then, some ABC affiliates balked, sending Kimmel to the bench, perhaps for good.

LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 18: Jimmy Kimmel is seen on September 18, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by PG/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

PG/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

It caps a tumultuous eight years for the ex-“Man Show” host, one whose rude and crude brand gave way to lectures, finger-wagging, and the occasional tear.

We still don’t know all the details behind Kimmel’s benching. Sinclair, the company behind many ABC affiliates, pulled the show and demanded a full-throated apology from the far-Left Kimmel. Nexstar also axed the show, at least for now.

ABC then followed suit.

The decisions came after FCC chair Brendan Carr excoriated Kimmel’s comments on “The Benny Show” and suggested action may be required. Carr followed up on those opinions via CNBC.

It was appearing to directly mislead the American public about a significant fact that probably one of the most significant political events we’ve had in a long time, for the most significant political assassination we’ve seen in a long time.

Carr has a legal leg to stand on, given ABC uses the public airwaves, but it still bears a whiff of danger to our collective free speech. The government shouldn’t get involved in speech matters, by and large. And First Amendment purists should watch matters closely, something the ACLU once did before becoming regretfully woke.

What’s obvious is how Kimmel abused his platform over the years, mocked others who got fired for sharing the “wrong” words, and embraced nuclear-grade hypocrisy.

Remember Roseanne Barr? The cranky mind behind the ABC sitcom bearing her name lost her job in 2018 after sending out one racially-charged tweet targeting a member of the Obama administration, Valerie Jarrett. Barr swiftly apologized and said she didn’t know Jarrett was black. ABC, owned by Disney, fired her anyway.

Kimmel’s response?

He joked that the show should go on, but this time focusing on her character’s husband, Dan, played by John Goodman. He couldn’t defend her or suggest ABC shouldn’t fire an employee for one awful post.

Credit: @TimcastNews/X.com

Some free speech hero. That would be a pattern.

When multiple social media platforms banned President Trump following the events of Jan. 6, Kimmel delighted in the news. He used his then-Twitter account to share a cartoon of Trump unsuccessfully trying to access the site, a single tear dropping on his smartphone.

In 2021, Kimmel’s show shed announcer Dicky Barrett because the musician refused to take the COVID-19 vaccine, per ABC’s orders. Did Kimmel fight on his behalf? That remains unknown. He did not, however, fight for him in the public space, that’s for sure.

Kimmel’s COVID-19 commentary could be callous, if not downright cruel. When worries surfaced about having enough hospital beds to treat sick Americans, Kimmel suggested those who didn’t take the vaccine should be shut out.

That choice doesn’t seem so tough to me … Vaccinated person having a heart attack? Yes, come right on in. We’ll take care of you. Unvaccinated guy who gobbled horse goo? Rest in peace, wheezy.

He also mocked ordinary Americans who protested the extreme lockdowns that threatened to shutter their homegrown businesses for good.

Later, when Fox News showed Tucker Carlson the door in 2024, Kimmel danced on the conservative’s professional grave.

Tucker couldn’t be reached for comment. He’s already on a plane to Moscow to meet with his manager.

Credit: @mazemoore/X.com

Perhaps his most egregious act as a so-called comedian came when he hosted a fundraiser for then-President Joe Biden last year. That move shredded whatever remained of his fair-and-balanced pose, but he made things much worse after the fact.

The fundraiser showed President Biden freezing up during the finale. Former President Barack Obama had to gently guide the addled leader off the stage. The moment was caught on video. We all saw it, and most already knew that Biden’s cognitive state was in question.

What did Kimmel do after the fact? He seemingly lied to his audience, telling them they couldn’t trust their eyes.

Kimmel isn’t just a partisan. He’s so hard-Left that he greeted President Trump’s re-election last year with the tears of a former clown.

[The election] was a terrible night for women, for children, for the hundreds of thousands of hard-working immigrants who make this country go, for health care, for our climate, for science, for journalism, for justice, for free speech.

A few months later, he made light of fellow progressives attacking Tesla dealerships over CEO Elon Musk’s political maneuvers.

More recently, he joked that some of his show’s female staffers were crushing on Luigi Mangione, the man accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in cold blood.

Ha ha ha.

Even his infamous Kirk comments came before he mocked President Trump for mourning the wrong way over the younger man’s assassination. Just ghoulish.

Not riddance, Jimmy. Good riddance.

* * *

Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic and editor of HollywoodInToto.com. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. Follow him at HollywoodInToto.com.

The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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