U2 support “the right to speak freely” amid Jimmy Kimmel suspension
U2 have expressed their support with Jimmy Kimmel, after his show was suspended over comments he made on the recent assassination of Charlie Kirk.
Kimmel’s late-night show, Jimmy Kimmel Live! was taken off air by ABC in response to the comedian’s reaction to Donald Trump supporters after Charlie Kirk’s passing: “The MAGA Gang desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”
Kirk was a conservative commentator who was assassinated while speaking at a university event in Utah. Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old, has been identified as the shooter and faces seven charges, including aggravated murder and witness tampering.
Among other comments, Kimmel also condemned Trump’s personal reaction to Kirk’s death, saying, “This is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he calls a friend. This is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish.” ABC labelled his comments “offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse”.
Now, U2 have posted a post on social media expressing solidarity with Kimmel. The post, which was simply a picture of the band alongside Kimmel on his show, was shared with their 3.6 million followers.
The caption read, “In support of the right to speak freely, from left to right, from good to bad to worse. From the not so great to the inspirational…and above all to laughter. Which is the evidence of freedom….”
The show’s indefinite removal has become a symbol for media censorship in America, as the Trump administration has cut billions in funding to public media in an effort to crack down on free speech.
A host of other stars have rallied around Kimmel since his suspension. David Letterman has also expressed his solidarity with Kimmel, stating, “You can’t go around firing somebody because you’re fearful or trying to suck up to an authoritarian, a criminal administration in the Oval Office. That’s just not how this works.”
Bill Maher also backed Kimmel in a fiery late-night monologue where he said, in part, “This shit ain’t new; it’s worse, we’ll get to that, but ABC, they are steady. ABC stands for Always Be Caving. So, Jimmy, pal, I am with you, I support you, and on the bright side, you don’t have to pretend anymore that you like Disneyland.”
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