Jimmy Kimmel said in his opening monologue that the "MAGA gang" was "desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them" and was working to score political points from the situation. He accused supporters of former President Trump of exploiting Charlie Kirk's death for political advantage. Kimmel also mocked the president's reaction by playing a clip of Trump talking about White House construction and joking, "He's at the fourth stage of grief: construction." He added that this was not how an adult grieves the murder of a friend but like how a child mourns a goldfish. Kimmel's remarks drew significant backlash, leading ABC to suspend his late-night show indefinitely due to the controversy and pressure from regulators.