Timcast IRL — September 18, 2025

Episode: Jimmy Kimmel FIRED, ABC Pulls Show Over Charlie Kirk Assassination Comments w/ Will Tanner
Host: Tim Pool | Panel: Will Tanner, Tate Brown, Brett Dasovic, Phil Labonte
Main Theme: The firing of Jimmy Kimmel by ABC after incendiary comments regarding the assassination of Charlie Kirk and the ensuing repercussions for media, culture, and free speech in America.

Episode Overview

This explosive Timcast IRL episode unpacks the story behind Jimmy Kimmel's indefinite suspension from ABC. The catalyst: controversial on-air remarks painting Charlie Kirk’s assassin as a Trump supporter, despite official findings to the contrary. Tim Pool, with guests including Will Tanner (The American Tribune), dissects media responsibility, left/right culture wars, rising political violence, and the public’s eroding trust in institutions. The team also discusses the declaration of Antifa as a terrorist organization, changing digital power structures, cancel culture hypocrisy, and how these developments signal a watershed moment for free speech and political accountability in the US.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Jimmy Kimmel's Suspension: Media, Responsibility, and Narrative Warfare

• Event breakdown:
  • Kimmel, during his monologue, incorrectly characterized Charlie Kirk’s assassin as a MAGA supporter (00:37–08:33).
  • ABC and Nexstar’s swift response, citing concern about fanning political violence and community values, led to his removal (08:33–12:32).
  • Tim Pool: “You are fanning the flames of political violence in a very terrifying and dangerous way... There has to be a simmering down of temperatures, and that’s why people are getting fired, and that’s why Jimmy Kimmel got fired.” (11:21)
• Panel’s interpretation:
  • Consensus that the corporate decision–not government pressure–was primarily to protect brands and prevent further escalation.
  • Phil Labonte: “Losing sponsors and repercussions with the higher-ups at the company gets people to move. That’ll get companies to move.” (12:32)

2. Cancel Culture Comes Full Circle

• Liberal arguments examined:
  • Liberals’ previous support of cancel culture now haunts them as their own icons are targeted.
  • Tim invokes the XKCD comic about free speech, noting how the standard liberals demanded is now the one to which they are being held (19:06–20:12).
  • Tim Pool: “This is one of the stupidest things I’ve ever read… you asked me not to [defend your speech], so when Jimmy Kimmel gets fired, my response is, I don’t care. I love it.” (19:06, 21:23)
• Panel notes the difference:
  • Mocking a murder is leagues above being canceled for misgendering or saying “learn to code.”

3. The Severity of Kirk’s Assassination: A Firsthand Account

• Frank Turek’s emotional recounting (23:51–30:20):
  • Gives a harrowing eyewitness perspective of Kirk's final moments, illustrating why so many view Kimmel’s comments as beyond the pale.
  • Frank Turek: “Charlie wasn’t there. His eyes were fixed… He was with Jesus already… He was killed instantly and felt absolutely no pain.” (28:47)
• Purpose:
  • Emphasizes the gravity: this isn’t a “naughty word” case, but the aftermath of murder in front of family.

4. Historic Parallels and Media Enabling Political Violence

• Will Tanner:
  • Draws on historical examples (Weathermen, Black Liberation Army, Bill Ayers) to show how the media sometimes downplays left-wing violence (32:26).
  • Warns that failing to counter or accurately report such violence emboldens radicals and erodes social order.

5. Accountability and Double Standards

• Brian Stelter’s reaction:
  • CNN frames Kimmel’s firing as an attack on “comedy” and free speech (33:32–34:35).
  • Panel highlights Stelter’s past support for Roseanne Barr’s firing, exposing a double standard.
  • Tim Pool: “You are a hypocrite and a liar and your words mean nothing.” (43:33)
• Sinclair and Others Step In:
  • Sinclair replaces Kimmel’s show with a Charlie Kirk tribute, demands apology. Example of shifting media landscape (72:29).

6. Antifa Declared a Terrorist Organization

• Trump designates Antifa abroad and at home as a terrorist group (45:34).
  • Discussion of implications for law enforcement and political strategy.
  • Phil Labonte: “Antifa are a terrorist organization. They have always been a terrorist organization. They are a revolutionary communist group.” (48:11)
• Effect on events and security:
  • Tim Pool shares that security concerns and threats from the far left have forced event cancellations (53:05).

7. Tech, Censorship, and Legacy Media’s Decline

• Shift from legacy TV to digital platforms:
  • Kimmel’s audience and ad value were already in decline; canceling him aligns with business reality (13:12, 15:50).
  • Brett Dasovic: “...everybody knows that this type of television is a dying model anyways… with 100 writers, could you not find a more palatable way? You can't, because your point is disgusting.” (13:36, 15:50)
• YouTube, Reddit, and Twitch under scrutiny:
  • Congressional hearings to address left-wing radicalization online (77:31).

8. The Conspiracy Ecosystem and Distrust in Institutions

• Conspiracy fatigue:
  • Nick Fuentes (via Tim) calls out the reflex to blame “Israel” or other actors, instead of recognizing the actual ideological and personal motivations in play (90:51).
• Institutional trust is nailed:
  • “Nobody believes the government, so they turn to conspiracies. The real conspiracy is that sometimes the government tells the truth.” (97:23, Phil Labonte)

9. Culture Wars, “Fascism,” and the Moving Goalposts

• What is fascism?
  • Tim and Will discuss how the label is weaponized against any traditionalist or centrist.
  • Charlie Kirk, a moderate conservative, is cast as “far right” by left media, showing the Overton Window’s shift (38:14).
  • Phil Labonte: “If you were a bible-believing Christian 30 years ago and you are today, you’re essentially the same guy.” (39:01)

10. Reflections and Future Implications

• Tim: “We are at a crossroads in this country. This is it.” (119:30)
• Will Tanner: “We didn't win. We were given a martyr, sadly, whose death might enable us to win by… cracking down on the people who want to kill us. You can't unify with someone who's pointing a gun at your head.” (129:20)
• Shift in digital landscape:
  • Tech companies are slowly recognizing that uncensored engagement is more lucrative—a major shift (87:27).
• Call for accountability and clarity:
  • Panel underscores the importance of honest media and consequences for incitement.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Tim Pool: “You are fanning the flames of political violence in a very terrifying and dangerous way… There has to be a simmering down of temperatures, and that’s why people are getting fired, and that’s why Jimmy Kimmel got fired.” — (11:21)

Frank Turek: “Charlie wasn’t there. His eyes were fixed. He wasn’t looking at me. He was looking past me, right into eternity. He was with Jesus already. He was killed instantly and felt absolutely no pain.” — (28:47)

Brett Dasovic: “They had 100 writers on these shows. Like when Jimmy Kimmel says, 'I said nothing that I have to apologize for,' it's like—you didn't say anything. Like, 100 writers said that and you just parroted whatever the hell you were told.” — (87:12)

Will Tanner: "Media in the 1970s did the same—covering up leftist guerrilla violence. They think they can get away with it again. Kimmel's firing is very important on that front." — (32:26)

Phil Labonte: “Antifa are a terrorist organization. They have always been a terrorist organization. They are a revolutionary communist group.” — (48:11)

Tim Pool: “This is not a question of someone saying naughty words and you felt insulted. This was an innocent man…who was murdered in front of his own children.” — (30:20)

Will Tanner: “Free speech…is not a law, it’s a culture…If you have one side that’s advocating for terrorism against the other side and celebrating murder, of course the other side’s not going to find that okay. You’re no longer part of that culture.” — (36:12)

Brett Dasovic: “This isn’t just a murder. This was a terrorist attack intended on getting conservatives to stop speaking their mind. This is… tangibly attempting to lower the temperature.” — (74:17)

Important Timestamps

• 00:37–05:00: Tim recaps Kimmel’s comments and sequence leading to the show's cancellation
• 08:33–12:32: Explanation & condemnation of Kimmel’s mischaracterization of the assassin
• 13:12–16:05: Panel discusses business, ratings, and network motivations
• 19:06–22:05: Cancel culture hypocrisy; liberals' free speech standards flipped on themselves
• 23:51–30:20: Frank Turek’s moving eyewitness account of Kirk’s death
• 33:32–34:35: Brian Stelter’s CNN reaction; doubling down on “comedy” as a rights issue
• 45:34–53:05: Trump declares Antifa a terrorist org; fallout for political events and security
• 72:29–74:04: Sinclair replaces Kimmel with tribute, demands apology and donation
• 77:31–80:13: Tech platforms and Congressional hearings on left-wing radicalization online
• 119:30–129:20: Panel reflects on what “winning” looks like after such a tragedy

Conclusion & Takeaway

This episode stands as a stark marker in the ongoing American culture war. The panel concludes that Kimmel’s firing is not simply a “right-wing score” but the inevitable result of decades of cultural weaponization of censorship, the normalization of political violence, and a pressing need to tamp down tensions. The tragic death of Charlie Kirk, and the media’s effort to distort its meaning, has pushed even mainstream networks and corporations toward unprecedented actions—and the designation of Antifa as a terrorist group signals a new chapter of increased accountability and scrutiny for both media and militant activists.

At a time when trust in institutions is critically low and the boundaries of acceptable public speech are under fierce contest, Timcast IRL calls for honest reporting, new standards for responsible rhetoric, and a sober reexamination of how America defines free speech — and who really benefits when the rules are bent for political advantage.

Panel Closing Plugs

• Will Tanner: Substack — TheAmericanTribune News
• Tate Brown: X/Instagram — @RealTateBrown
• Brett Dasovic: Pop Culture Crisis (YouTube/live); X/Instagram — @BrettDasovic
• Phil Labonte: All That Remains (various music platforms); X — @PhilThatRemains

Listener Guidance:
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