Jimmy Kimmel attacked President Donald Trump’s response to the death of Charlie Kirk during Thursday night’s episode of his eponymous talk show.
Kirk, the 31-year-old co-founder of Turning Point USA and a key ally of Trump’s, was shot in the neck by a sniper’s bullet at an event at Utah Valley University in Orem on Wednesday.
“With all these terrible things happening, you would think that our president would at least make an attempt to bring us together, but he didn’t,” Kimmel said, also mentioning the school shooting that occurred in Colorado Wednesday.
The host then showed the responses of former presidents to Kirk’s death: “President Obama did. President Biden did. Presidents Bush and Clinton did. President Trump did not.”
“Instead, he blamed Democrats for their rhetoric,” Kimmel said.
While condemning the “demonizing” of political opponents in the U.S., Trump claimed the rhetoric of the “radical left” was “directly responsible” for the assassination of Kirk.
“We just have to beat the hell out of them,” said the president late Wednesday.
Kimmel then reminded his viewers that this was “the man who told a crowd of supporters that maybe the second amendment people should do something about Hillary Clinton.
“The man who said he wouldn’t mind if someone shot through the fake news media.”
He continued: “The man who unleashed a mob on the Capitol, and said Liz Cheney should face nine barrels shooting at her for supporting his opponent, blames the radical left for their ‘rhetoric.’”
On Thursday evening, the FBI released new footage of the man believed to be Kirk’s killer climbing off a building before fleeing the scene. The manhunt remains ongoing.
Kimmel previously addressed Kirk’s death on social media, writing: “Instead of the angry finger-pointing, can we just for one day agree that it is horrible and monstrous to shoot another human?
“On behalf of my family, we send love to the Kirks and to all the children, parents and innocents who fall victim to senseless gun violence,” he wrote.
Meanwhile, Kimmel’s fellow late night host Stephen Colbert switched up his format to deliver an impassioned plea ahead of his usual monologue Wednesday.
“I’m old enough to personally remember the political violence of the 1960s, and I hope it is obvious to everyone in America that political violence does not solve any of our political differences,” he said.
“Political violence only leads to more political violence, and I pray with all my heart that this is the aberrant action of a madman and not a sign of things to come.”
Kirk is survived by his wife, Erika, and their two children.
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