Calls are growing for ABC News to fire Jimmy Kimmel after he spread the egregious lie that Charlie Kirk’s assassin was “MAGA” despite ample evidence available to the contrary.
During a recent episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Kimmel said: “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.”
But that’s a blatant lie.
At the time of Kimmel’s remarks, it was already known that alleged assassin Tyler Robinson was a mentally ill leftist radicalized by transgender ideology. Ammunition cartridges linked to Kirk’s assassination were engraved with anti-fascist ideology and transgender expressions. One bullet casing read: “Hey, fascists! Catch!”
Several social media users have called for Kimmel to be fired over his lies. The Conservative Brief posted on X: “Fire him!”
One X user, Kentucky Girl, posted: “This should end his career permanently. Fire Jimmy Kimmel.”
Troy M. Olson wrote on X: “Jimmy Kimmel is one of the immense moral cowards of our time. And there are many. The market had long ago spoken as well. Fire him. Fire Jimmy.”
Former West Virginia state representative Derrick Evans demanded an apology from Kimmel over his lies.
The Federalist reached out to ABC News to ask whether Kimmel would be fired for his egregious lie, or whether they would issue an apology for deliberately lying to their audience. ABC News did not respond.
Notably, the FCC website states “there are two issues related to broadcast journalism that are subject to Commission regulation: hoaxes and news distortion.”
Hoaxes are described by the FCC as “false information concerning a crime or catastrophe” if “the station licensee knew the information was false,” “Broadcasting the false information directly causes substantial public harm,” or “It was foreseeable that broadcasting the false information would cause such harm.”
The FCC continues: “Broadcast licensees may not intentionally distort the news. The FCC has stated that ‘rigging or slanting the news is a most heinous act against the public interest.’ The Commission will investigate a station for news distortion if it receives documented evidence of rigging or slanting, such as testimony or other documentation, from individuals with direct personal knowledge that a licensee or its management engaged in the intentional falsification of the news.”
Additional information only further corroborated initial reports about Robinson’s political affiliations.
Robinson’s mother later told investigators her son had “become more political” leaning left and “pro-gay and trans rights,” Fox News reported, citing court documents. Robinson’s mother further told authorities that Robinson said Kirk’s event at Utah Valley University was a “stupid” venue and that Kirk “spreads too much hate.”
Authorities say Robinson’s father encouraged his son to surrender, but that in a conversation leading up to the moment, “they discussed the situation [and] Robinson implied that he was the shooter and stated that he couldn’t go to jail and just wanted it to end.”
“When asked why he did it, Robinson explained there is too much evil and the guy [Charlie Kirk] spreads too much hate,” prosecutors reportedly wrote.
Robinson has been charged with aggravated murder, two counts of obstruction of justice for concealing the rifle and discarding clothing, and two counts of witness tampering for encouraging his roommate to delete their message exchanges and remain silent, Fox News reported.
Brianna Lyman is an elections correspondent at The Federalist. Brianna graduated from Fordham University with a degree in International Political Economy. Her work has been featured on Newsmax, Fox News, Fox Business and RealClearPolitics. Follow Brianna on X: @briannalyman2
