In a rare twist on late-night television, Jimmy Kimmel took a moment this week not to mock conservatives but to thank them. Speaking on his show Tuesday, the “Jimmy Kimmel Live” host directly acknowledged voices on the right who stood up for his right to speak freely without government pressure, even though many of them disagree with nearly everything he believes. It was an unusual break from the relentless partisanship that late-night has come to symbolize in recent years.
Kimmel’s remarks came after controversy surrounding his comments about the tragic assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. Critics accused him of making light of the situation, while others felt he had unfairly pointed a finger at political opponents. In his statement, Kimmel attempted to clarify. “It wasn’t his ‘intention to blame any specific group for the actions of what — it was obviously a deeply disturbed individual. That was really the opposite of the point I was trying to make, but, I understand that, to some, that felt 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’d have felt the same way.’”
For once, instead of the dismissive tone conservatives have come to expect, Kimmel extended thanks. “Maybe, most of all, I want to thank the people who don’t support my show and what I believe, but support my right to share those beliefs anyway,” he said. He specifically named Ben Shapiro, Clay Travis, Candace Owens, Sen. Mitch McConnell, Sen. Rand Paul, and even Sen. Ted Cruz. Kimmel admitted, “who, believe it or not, said something very beautiful on my behalf.” He also credited Joe Rogan as someone who defended him.
Kimmel emphasized he was not trying to mock Kirk’s death. “It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man. I don’t think there’s anything funny about it. I posted a message on Instagram on the day he was killed, sending love to his family and asking for compassion, and I meant it. And I still do.” He reiterated, “Nor was it my intention to blame any specific group for the actions of what — it was obviously a deeply disturbed individual. That was really the opposite of the point I was trying to make, but, I understand that, to some, that felt ill-timed or unclear or maybe both, and for those who think I did point a finger, I get why you’re upset.”
In a particularly striking comment for viewers used to his partisanship, Kimmel admitted, “I have many friends and family members on the other side who I love and remain close to, even though we don’t agree on politics at all. I don’t think the murderer who shot Charlie Kirk represents anyone. This was a sick person who believed violence was a solution, and it isn’t, ever.”
He also made his own concerns personal, acknowledging that he and his family have faced threats. “Selfishly, I am a person who gets a lot of threats, I get many ugly and scary threats against my life, my wife, my kids, my coworkers, because of what I choose to say. And I know those threats don’t come from the kind of people on the right who I know and love. So, that’s what I wanted to say on that subject.”
Kimmel even touched on broader issues of free speech, pointing out that FCC Chair Brendan Carr had been right to call out censorship in the past. In an unexpected moment of praise, he also highlighted Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, who publicly forgave her husband’s killer. Kimmel said he hoped forgiveness, not division, would be the lasting message.
The episode highlighted a strange reality: sometimes the defense of free speech comes from the very people least likely to defend you otherwise. For conservatives, it was a reminder that constitutional principles are bigger than politics. Even those who disagree on nearly everything can recognize the danger of government control over speech. And when voices on the right defend the rights of those who have spent years belittling them, it underscores that free expression is a principle worth guarding no matter whose microphone it protects.
