(NewsNation) — People are making bets on whether Jimmy Kimmel will apologize for his comments related to Charlie Kirk’s death when he returns to the air Tuesday.
As of Tuesday afternoon, most bettors predict the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” host will not apologize over his remarks, according to data from prediction market operator Kalshi.
Approximately 54% of wagerers think he won’t apologize, while 49% of them think he will.
ABC suspended Kimmel’s show on Sept. 17, a few days after he said the U.S. “hit some new lows over the weekend,” when the “MAGA gang desperately tried to characterize this kid who killed Kirk as anything other than one of them.”
The 57-year-old comedian, who has had a late-night show on ABC since 2003, accused Republicans of trying to “score political points” from Kirk’s death.
Kimmel then criticized President Trump after airing a video of the president taking a question about Kirk’s death. In the clip, Trump abruptly changes the subject to talk about a planned White House ballroom. Kimmel joked that Trump was mourning Charlie Kirk “the way a 4-year-old mourns a goldfish.”
Jimmy Kimmel suspension backlash
Following his suspension, backlash swelled, with many people criticizing Disney, which owns ABC, for stifling free speech.
Since announcing the suspension, Disney’s stock fell several percentage points, and the company faced subscription cancellations from Disney+ customers.
Now, the company risks renewed backlash from those who said they were offended by Kimmel’s remarks about Kirk, who died earlier this month.
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President Trump (left) and ABC host Jimmy Kimmel (right) (AP Photo/Alex Brandon/Phil McCarten/Invision for the Television Academy/AP Content Services)
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JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE! „Jimmy Kimmel Live!“ airs every weeknight at 11:35 p.m. ET and features a diverse lineup of guests that include celebrities, athletes, musical acts, comedians and human interest subjects, along with comedy bits and a house band. The guests for Monday, June 16 included Steve Martin („5 Days Out, 2 Days Back“), Zach Cherry („Severance“), and musical guest Steve Martin with Alison Brown & Tim O’Brien. (Disney/Randy Holmes)
JIMMY KIMMEL (Photo by Randy Holmes/Disney via Getty Images) -
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 22: (L-R) Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel speak onstage during the 71st Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater on September 22, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Kimmel has not publicly commented on his reinstatement. His return monologue Tuesday will be his first opportunity to address the controversy directly.
Jimmy Kimmel’s limited comeback
Nexstar, which owns NewsNation and several local stations with ABC affiliations, announced Tuesday morning it would continue with its plan to preempt Kimmel. “We made a decision last week to preempt ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ following what ABC referred to as Mr. Kimmel’s ‘ill-timed and insensitive’ comments at a critical time in our national discourse,” their statement reads. “We stand by that decision pending assurance that all parties are committed to fostering an environment of respectful, constructive dialogue in the markets we serve.”
Sinclair, the nation’s largest ABC affiliate group, in a statement said, “Beginning Tuesday night, Sinclair will be preempting ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ across our ABC affiliate stations and replacing it with news programming. Discussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show’s potential return.”
