Bill Maher Bashes Jimmy Kimmel Over Charlie Kirk Comment: ‘Not Really a Smart Thing to Say’
Bill Maher was not a fan of Jimmy Kimmel’s comment about Charlie Kirk that led to his suspension, saying it was “not really a smart thing to say” when the late night host implied Kirk’s killer was a member of President Donald Trump’s “MAGA gang.”
Maher, during the latest episode of his Club Random podcast on Monday, said the comment was the result of Kimmel being in a liberal “bubble” that warps how he and other late night comics think. At the same time, the Real Time host bashed how the Trump administration and some conservatives responded to it, saying they were trying to enforce a “blasphemy law.”
‘That’s not right, either. This isn’t Pakistan,” Maher said.
Maher, a moment earlier, told guest Michael Rapaport he was “forthright on my show about supporting Jimmy.” He said it was unfair that some of Kimmel’s critics said he was mocking Kirk, when in reality, Kimmel was mocking Trump supporters, Maher said.
That’s where the issue was for Maher.
“I didn’t agree with what he said because it was just wrong,” Maher said.
He then added, “I can’t lie and say I think what he said was accurate.”
If you somehow missed the drama, ABC and Disney suspended Kimmel on Sept. 17 for implying the man who killed Kirk was a Trump supporter — contrary to reports. Here is the comment from his Sept. 15 show that led to his suspension:
The MAGA [is] 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.
The comment led to swift pushback from Nexstar and Sinclair, which control a large chunk of ABC affiliates, and FCC Chair Brendan Carr on Sept. 17 said he felt Kimmel’s comment warranted a suspension.
Hours later, Kimmel was suspended — leading to some critics saying ABC and Disney caved to Trump’s administration; White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt denied that the president put “pressure” on ABC to suspend Kimmel.
Following all of that, ABC announced on Sept. 22 it was lifting Kimmel’s suspension and he returned to his program the following evening. Kimmel did not apologize for his comments — leading Andrew Kolvet, the executive producer of The Charlie Kirk Show, to rip the host as an “unrepentant liar.”
Maher, on his Monday podcast, said Kimmel’s comments were not only incorrect, but reflected the issue that several other late night shows have — they all have the same left-wing viewpoint.
“There’s a reason why half the country feels insulted by them and is turned off to them, because it’s just one very predictable point of view,” Maher said.
He continued: “That was not really a smart thing to say, that this guy who shot Charlie Kirk was on the MAGA team, because that’s just something that the BlueSky crowd told themselves. And if you’re that far in the bubble where you don’t really see both sides, you’re going to believe that.”
Rapaport added he “liked” Kimmel, like Maher, but that he felt Kirk’s killing “shouldn’t be discussed” so soon after it happened.
Maher added that, despite him coming out and supporting Kimmel on his HBO show, Kimmel did not seem to be a fan of his anymore.
“Look, Jimmy apparently doesn’t like me too much anymore, because he thanked everybody but me,” Maher said. “And I was adamant — adamant — about supporting him.”
Watch above, via Club Random on YouTube.
