In a matter of days, Jimmy Kimmel has emerged as a singular adversary of the American right. This follows widespread anger over his comment that the “MAGA gang” was attempting to “score political points” from the tragic shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, which led ABC to pull his late-night show indefinitely.
The network’s decision sparked polarized reactions: celebration from Kimmel’s detractors and accusations of censorship from his supporters. This marks a remarkable chapter for a comedian whose early career was characterized by mocking social progressivism and embracing crude humor, a style that paradoxically mirrors much of the internet’s emerging “manosphere.”
A national television personality for over two decades, Kimmel has evolved from a satirist who reveled in political incorrectness to a reliable and widely accepted host for major events like the Oscars and Emmys. On “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, he has consistently used his late-night platform to critique the sitting administration and engage with the culture wars, now finding himself at their very heart.
Below are key moments from Kimmel’s television career to date.
1999-2003
‘The Man Show’
After co-hosting a Comedy Central game show, Kimmel achieved widespread recognition with the sketch comedy series “The Man Show.” This program was a raunchy, often only half-joking, satire of traditional machismo. Its debut episode famously presented an elaborate metaphor, with Kimmel and co-host Adam Carolla declaring their mission to be a “dam to stop the river of estrogen that is drowning us in political correctness.” Kimmel hosted the show until 2003, when comedian and future era-defining podcaster Joe Rogan took over for its final two seasons. In 2020, Kimmel issued an apology for wearing blackface on the show, where he impersonated celebrities including Karl Malone and Oprah Winfrey.
2003
Welcome to Late Night
“Jimmy Kimmel Live!” premiered on January 26, 2003, strategically placed after the Super Bowl to give the new show an initial ratings boost. In a pre-debut interview with Howard Stern, Kimmel acknowledged the immense pressure of launching a show to challenge late-night giants David Letterman and Jay Leno, stating, “I think I have to do well fairly quickly.” He tailored his opening to the 18-to-34-year-old male demographic ABC was targeting, celebrating his winning Super Bowl bets and introducing guest co-host Snoop Dogg as “the reason there are 10 network censors here with their fingers sweating nervously on the five-second delay button.”
2005-2017
‘Live!’ Comes Into Its Own
Kimmel successfully developed several signature long-running segments, a staple of any popular late-night show. These included “Mean Tweets,” where celebrities dramatically read aloud hateful social media comments about themselves, and “Lie Witness News,” where Kimmel’s staff interviewed people about completely fabricated events. Perhaps his most famous running gag was a playful, long-standing feud with actor Matt Damon, which famously involved Sarah Silverman, Kimmel’s girlfriend at the time, performing an Emmy-winning song about her relationship with Damon.
2017
Politics Becomes Personal
More than a decade into his tenure, Kimmel began to delve deeper into political discourse, often in deeply personal ways. In 2017, following his newborn son Billy’s emergency open-heart surgery, Kimmel used his platform to advocate against health care reforms that would deny coverage to individuals with pre-existing medical conditions. In an interview that same year, Kimmel humorously noted that ABC executives had never censored his political commentary, joking that “They had more concerns about my beard.”
In 2018, Kimmel engaged in a heated public dispute with Fox News host Sean Hannity, who labeled him a “despicable disgrace” for mocking Melania Trump’s Slovenian accent. Kimmel later issued an apology, stating that “the level of vitriol from all sides (mine and me included) does nothing good for anyone and, in fact, is harmful to our country.” In 2021, another long-running feud began between Kimmel and NFL star Aaron Rodgers regarding the player’s COVID-19 vaccination status, a disagreement that continued for several years.
2017, 2018, 2023, 2024
Dependable Oscars Host
Kimmel eventually ascended to the esteemed position of a widely accepted awards show host. After gaining experience hosting the Emmys for a couple of years, he was invited to host the Academy Awards in 2017. In his opening monologue, he quipped, “This is my first time here, and the way you people go through hosts, it’s probably my last time here.” He was mistaken, going on to host the prestigious ceremony three more times, skillfully balancing flattery and witty barbs directed at the assembled Hollywood stars.
2024
Lamenting Trump’s Second Term
When Donald Trump secured his second term, Kimmel famously joked that he was sure he was on the president’s “list of enemies.” He delivered an emotional speech where he left no room for doubt about his political stance, stating, “It was a terrible night for women, for children, for the hundreds of thousands of hard-working immigrants who make this country go, for health care, for our climate, for science, for journalism, for justice, for free speech.”
2025
A Sudden Suspension
In his monologue on Monday night, Kimmel sharply criticized the right’s response to the assassination of Charlie Kirk. He claimed the “MAGA gang” was “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.” This comment drew fierce condemnation from conservative activists and even the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr, who accused Kimmel of misrepresenting the suspect’s political leanings. Before Kimmel could address the backlash on his scheduled Wednesday telecast, his show was abruptly suspended.