American late-night host Jimmy Kimmel has launched a scorching on-air takedown of right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk, following what he termed "dangerous" and "unhinged" comments about the jury system in Donald Trump's recent criminal trial.
The fiery segment erupted on Kimmel's ABC show after Kirk, founder of the conservative group Turning Point USA, suggested on his own programme that the predominantly Democratic jury in New York—where Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts—was inherently biased and possibly illegitimate.
Kimmel didn't hold back, branding Kirk a "lunatic" and methodically dismantling his claims point by point. "According to Charlie, the problem is that there are too many Democrats on the jury," Kimmel stated with palpable sarcasm. "In New York City. A place where Donald Trump grew up and built his business."
The Core of the Controversy
Kirk's original remarks questioned whether a fair trial could even occur in a city that voted overwhelmingly against Trump in 2020. He implied the jury pool was fundamentally corrupted by political affiliation—a claim Kimmel found both absurd and dangerous.
"He's saying because they're Democrats, they're incapable of being fair," Kimmel countered. "Which, by the way, is exactly what people said for years about all-white juries in the South during Jim Crow—that Black people couldn't get a fair trial because there were no Black jurors."
A Viral Moment in Late-Night Television
The segment quickly gained traction across social media platforms, with viewers divided along predictable political lines. Supporters praised Kimmel for defending the judicial process, while critics accused him of misrepresenting Kirk's position.
This isn't the first clash between the entertainer and the political activist. Kimmel has frequently targeted Kirk and Turning Point USA in his monologues, particularly criticising their stance on social issues and their influence on young conservatives.
The incident highlights the increasingly blurred lines between entertainment, journalism, and political commentary in American media, where late-night shows have become significant platforms for political discourse.
