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"Jimmy Kimmel Live" host Jimmy Kimmel is facing backlash from conservatives on social media after attempting to clarify his remarks about the assassination of Turning Point USA (TPUSA) Founder Charlie Kirk.
Tuesday night was the first show Kimmel hosted since Disney announced his return on Monday after nearly a week off the air. The late-night host addressed, but did not apologize for, his comments that led to the show's suspension.
"I’ve been hearing a lot about what I need to say and do tonight, and the truth is, I don’t think what I have to say is going to make much of a difference," Kimmel said. "If you like me, you like me. If you don’t, you don’t. I have no illusions about changing anyone’s mind. But I want to make something clear, because it’s important to me as a human, and that is – you understand that it was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man."
JIMMY KIMMEL CHOKES UP AS HE EXPLAINS KIRK COMMENTS, SAYS HE 'NEVER' INTENDED TO MOCK ASSASSINATION
Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show was initially pulled off the air last Wednesday after the host’s remarks about the alleged assassin of Charlie Kirk sparked outrage. (David Russell/Disney via Getty Images; AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Kimmel began tearing up as he said he posted a message to Instagram sending love to Kirk's family the day of his death.
"Nor was it my intention to blame any specific group for the actions," he continued. "It was a deeply disturbed individual. That was really the opposite of the point I was trying to make, but I understand that, to some, it felt either ill-timed or unclear or maybe both, and for those who think I did point a finger, I get why you’re upset. If the situation was reversed, there’s a good chance I would have felt the same way."
Last Monday, Kimmel appeared to falsely suggest the alleged assassin was a MAGA supporter, saying, "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."
Kimmel said Tuesday, however, that he didn't feel the alleged killer "represents anyone. This was a sick person who believed violence was a solution, and it isn't, ever."
Kimmel's attempt to clarify his previous comments did not sit well with many prominent conservatives, especially those in the TPUSA founder's close orbit.
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Andrew Kolvet, a close friend and executive producer of Kirk's show, slammed the late-night host's clarifying remarks as "not good enough" and offered Kimmel some help on how to issue an apology.
Another close friend of Kirk's, independent journalist Jack Posobiec, ripped "Jimmy ‘The Martyr’ Kimmel" for "fake crying" during his remarks on Tuesday and accused him of being manipulative in his response to the controversy.
Benny Johnson, host of "The Benny Show" and founder of TPUSA Productions, called Kimmel a "sick liar" for his remarks.
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In a lengthy and passionate post on X, actor Rob Schneider hammered Kimmel's "semi-apology" Tuesday and claimed that the late-night host "lied again" while attempting to clarify his comments on Kirk's assassination.
"The suspension you justly received last week was for FALSELY ACCUSING, MAGA and Republicans ‘one of their own’ you said, for the murder of our friend Charlie Kirk when it was in fact just another in the long line of Murderous Leftist Lunatics who killed Charlie, who get their inspiration to kill from YOUR DANGEROUS LEFTIST RHETORIC," he railed.
Chief investigative correspondent for Just the News, Jerry Dunleavy, insisted that Kimmel was being disingenuous in his explanation of his controversial remarks about Kirk's alleged killer.
Dunleavy claimed that the late-night host "absolutely falsely insinuated that Charlie Kirk’s assassin" was conservative and that he is now attempting to cover his tracks by suggesting that the shooter's ideology is irrelevant.
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Actor James Woods also chimed in with his take on Kimmel's remarks, slamming the late-night host for labeling conservatives fascists "until somebody believed you enough to kill a man better than you’ll ever be."
"How dare you even say his name," Woods added.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Disney for comment.
Disney previously told Fox News, "Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country. It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive. 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."
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Fox News' Lindsay Kornick contributed to this report.
