Former President Barack Obama rushed to defend Jimmy Kimmel after ABC indefinitely suspended the late-night host for vile “jokes” about Charlie Kirk’s assassination. But White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wasted no time in setting the record straight — torching Obama’s claims and reminding Americans where the blame truly belongs.
Kimmel, whose ratings have been sliding for years, crossed a line even Hollywood elites couldn’t ignore. On air, he quipped about Kirk’s death, smeared conservatives, and flat-out refused to apologize afterward. The fallout was swift. Disney, ABC’s corporate parent, pulled the plug indefinitely, citing mounting pressure from broadcasters, advertisers, and viewers who had no appetite for his cruelty.
This wasn’t “edgy comedy.” It was a disgusting display of hatred, mocking the brutal death of a respected Christian, conservative leader while millions of Americans mourned. Even some of Kimmel’s allies admitted the remarks were indefensible.
Instead of condemning Kimmel’s remarks, Obama lashed out at Trump and the White House. In a heated post on X, the former president claimed the administration was bullying media companies into silencing dissenting voices.
“After years of complaining about cancel culture, the current administration has taken it to a new and dangerous level by routinely threatening regulatory action against media companies unless they muzzle or fire reporters and commentators it doesn’t like,” Obama fumed.
But his statement collapsed under its own weight. The decision to suspend Kimmel had nothing to do with Trump. It came from Disney and ABC, who were hemorrhaging credibility and cash thanks to Kimmel’s reckless tirade.
Speaking to Kayleigh McEnany on Fox News, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismantled Obama’s argument point by point.
“With all due respect to former President Obama, he has no idea what he’s talking about,” Leavitt began.
She explained that Kimmel’s suspension was entirely an internal ABC decision: “The decision to fire Jimmy Kimmel and to cancel his show came from executives at ABC that has now been reported, and I can assure you, it did not come from the White House, and there was no pressure given from the President of the United States.”
Leavitt then revealed that Trump wasn’t even paying attention to Kimmel’s antics at the time. The president was in the United Kingdom, focused on a historic state visit with King Charles III — the second time he’s been hosted by the royal family.
“I was with the President of the United States when this news broke in the United Kingdom,” Leavitt said. “We were enjoying the beautiful and spectacular state visit put forth by the royal family and the Prime Minister of the UK, Keir Starmer.”
According to Leavitt, Trump only learned of Kimmel’s suspension when she brought it up to him. “He had no idea this was happening,” she said. “It was a decision that was made by ABC because Jimmy Kimmel chose to knowingly lie to his audience about the death of a highly respected man when our country is in a state of mourning.”
Obama may try to spin this as “cancel culture,” but the truth is simpler: Kimmel disgraced himself, and ABC finally decided his act was no longer worth defending.
Once again, Trump’s critics are desperate to blame him for the fallout of their own allies’ bad behavior. But as Leavitt made clear, this scandal was created — and ended — in Hollywood, not the White House.
