Trump Praises Charlie Kirk, Slams ‘Talentless’ Kimmel After Suspension

London / Washington (September 19, 2025)

During a joint press briefing in the United Kingdom with Prime Minister Keir Starmer, former President Donald Trump made headlines by saying that Charlie Kirk “could have been a future President.” He also addressed the recent suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! and defended ABC’s decision to pull the show off the air after the host made a controversial monologue about Charlie Kirk’s death.

Trump praised ABC’s suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, calling it “great news for America” because Kimmel had said “a horrible thing” about Charlie Kirk. He added that Kimmel had “very bad ratings” and “lack of talent,” implying he should have been fired earlier.

He asserted that it wasn’t purely a free speech matter, but rather one of performance and propriety.

On Charlie Kirk, Trump said Kirk “could have been a future President,” signalling admiration and raising the stakes of the controversy.

The trigger was a monologue by Jimmy Kimmel in which he criticized conservative circles for allegedly trying to use Kirk’s killing for political gain.

Following those remarks, major ABC affiliates, especially those owned by Nexstar, refused to broadcast the show. Nexstar publicly called Kimmel’s comments “offensive and insensitive.” ABC and Disney moved to suspend the show indefinitely.

Some conservatives (including Trump) are applauding the suspension as an appropriate consequence for provocative speech and poor performance.

Some people especially Democratic politicians — are framing their response that this sets a dangerous precedent about political influence over the media. They argue that networks and regulators are under pressure to stifle dissent or critical commentary.

The issue touches on how far can or should media personalities push political commentary, especially after a violent event tied to politics?