Jimmy Kimmel, Charlie Kirk, and the Debate Over Free Speech in America

September 23rd, 2025
Brogan Jones

There are very few people in the United States who have not heard about the death of Charlie Kirk, a right-wing activist and media personality who was assassinated at Utah Valley University earlier this month during an event for Turning Point USA, the nonprofit organization he founded in 2012. You’d be equally hard-pressed to find someone who did not have an opinion on Kirk’s passing, with the mixed reaction to the influencer’s death arguably receiving even more attention than the actual assassination itself. While conservatives mourned and popular politicians on both sides condemned the shooting, several media personalities and outspoken voices on the left did not let the assassination stop them from criticizing his life nor critiquing the response that conservatives had to his death. This discourse over how people were allowed to react to the death of Charlie Kirk—a man who ardently advocated for free speech during political debates—has ironically resulted in a debate over whether or not speech is truly free in America today.

The most immediate result of the discourse surrounding Charlie Kirk’s death was widespread firings. Many employees of private companies were let go after making online comments about Kirk's passing, mainly remarks which mocked or refused to condemn the assassination. While many of these did not immediately spark nationwide outrage, the situation intensified when Jimmy Kimmel's popular late-night talk show was suspended by ABC, following comments over Charlie Kirk’s death. Specifically, Kimmel stated that Republicans had used Kirk’s assassination as a political talking point, insinuating that President Trump’s reaction to the shooting had been underwhelming. In response to allegedly pressure from the Federal Communications Commission, ABC pulled the late-night show from the air indefinitely. ABC has since stated that Kimmel would have to apologize to Kirk's family and donate to Turning Point USA if he wanted to get his show back on TV.

Aside from the public outrage over Jimmy Kimmel’s firing, particularly from Democrats, several prominent media personalities have also responded to the situation. Not only have fellow late-night hosts like Seth Meyers and Stephen Colbert spoken out in support of Kimmel, but even conservative influencer and friend of Charlie Kirk, Candace Owens, has disagreed with ABC's decision, claiming that it was an attack on free speech. Indeed, the entire situation has left many wondering and arguing about the state of free speech in America. While private corporations are legally allowed to fire employees for public comments that they believe reflect negatively on the company, the specific circumstances surrounding this recent batch of firings have raised concerns about whether the constitutional right to free speech is still alive and well. While Kirk’s assassination has once again brought to the forefront the conversation surrounding political violence in America, it has also ignited an equally important discussion about free speech and censorship.

Extemp Analysis by: Brogan Jones

Question: What does Jimmy Kimmel’s firing mean for free speech in America?

AGD: The topic ultimately does have to do with an assassination, even if that isn’t the main focus, so I wouldn’t go for humor as the opener here. Instead, I think a perfect opener would actually be including a quote from Charlie Kirk about the importance of free speech in America. This would then make for a good transition into how his death is being weaponized to restrict free speech.

Background: This portion is fairly straightforward; you’ll want to explain why Jimmy Kimmel’s show was taken off the air to begin with, briefly going over the assassination and the subsequent discourse over it.

Answer/SOS: If I got this question, my answer would be that it has three key implications: 1) Speech regulations are getting tighter and tighter, 2) Companies are willing to bend to the Trump administration, and 3) Public outrage will be important for protecting free speech.

For the first point, I would talk about how the main outrage surrounding Kimmel’s firing is over the fact that many people believe what he said wasn’t that offensive nor disrespectful to Kirk or his family. The comments weren’t particularly out of the ordinary for Kimmel’s show, and thus demonstrate how the list of things you cannot say is ever-growing. For the second point, I would talk about how quickly Disney—who owns ABC—responded to pressure from the FCC to punish Jimmy Kimmel. Finally, for the third point, I would mention how the initial plan was to suspend the show indefinitely, with no real reinstatement of the late-night show on the table. After several days of public outrage, however, the deal changed to Kimmel getting his show back if he agreed to apologize and pay money to Turning Point USA. This was likely a result of public protests and people speaking out against the show’s cancellation.