Jimmy Kimmel Insists His Comments About Charlie Kirk Were 'Maliciously Mischaracterized': 'It Was Intentional'

Jimmy Kimmel may have taken the high road during his initial return to TV last month — but he's now setting the record straight about controversial remarks he made following Charlie Kirk's murder.

During an interview at a Bloomberg Screentime event on Wednesday, October 8, Kimmel insisted his comments had been "maliciously mischaracterized" by what he called "right-wing media networks."

Kimmel was questioned by reporter Lucas Shaw throughout the live conversation, who asked, "How long after the initial episode where you made the comments about the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the Monday episode, did you realize there was a problem?"

"I didn’t think there was a big problem. You know, I just saw it as distortion on the part of some of the right-wing media networks and I was — I aimed to correct it," he explained. "Sometimes you think this is not a problem and then it turns into a big problem, and then sometimes it goes the other way."

"And so at what point did you realize this was a problem?" Shaw questioned.

Sending the audience into a sea of laughter, Kimmel quipped, "I think when they pulled the show off the air."

After Shaw asked, "You felt like your initial comments had been mischaracterized?" Kimmel declared, "I didn’t feel like it, it was. It was intentionally and I think maliciously mischaracterized."

The comments in question were made by Kimmel on Monday, September 15 — just days after Kirk was shot dead in the neck at age 31 while speaking at a Turning Point USA at Utah Valley University on Wednesday, September 10.

"We hit some new lows over the weekend, with the MAGA 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," Kimmel said during his opening monologue at the time.

Kimmel appeared to be referencing President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance and other powerful members of their administration claiming the "radical left" was responsible for Kirk's assassination.

Kirk's alleged assassin, Tyler Robinson, is a 22-year-old white male who grew up around guns in a conservative household — but reportedly disagreed with many of his family members' views.

Elsewhere in Kimmel's interview, the late-night talk show host hilarious admitted he would "love" to have Trump on his show — despite the president's repeated public rants against him.

"I'd love to have Trump on the show, for sure," Kimmel joked. "I mean, I feel like he knows that if… he wants, I dunno… alright, I’ll ask him. I mean, I feel like he knows that if… he wants, I dunno… alright, I’ll ask him."