Backlash mounts towards Kimmel, ABC as critics accuse liberal host of excusing Tesla arson attacks
ABC and its late-night star Jimmy Kimmel are facing growing backlash over the liberal host making light of the increased violent attacks towards Tesla vehicles and dealerships.
During Tuesday night's monologue, Kimmel had fun at the expense of Tesla CEO and DOGE chief Elon Musk over his company's stock tanking "almost disastrously so," sparking massive cheers from his audience.
"People have been vandalizing Tesla vehicles, new Tesla vehicles. Please don't vandalize- don't ever vandalize Tesla vehicles," Kimmel said to the camera before smiling with a comedic pause.
Musk responded on X, saying, "He’s such an unfunny jerk."
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Kimmel followed up on Wednesday night, saying, "I mentioned last night multiple Teslas were burned at a Tesla facility in Las Vegas. Authorities are now investigating which Teslas were set on fire — and which set themselves on fire."
"And while no one should be setting anything on fire, ever, people are mad at Elon Musk for randomly and gleefully putting thousands of Americans out of work, including veterans. But the MAGA gang – which has been very against any kind of violent protest since January 7, was it? 2021? That’s when they started being against it, they are highly upset," he added, taking a shot at the Jan. 6 Capitol rioters.
Disney-owned ABC has long been perceived as a liberal network by critics and adversarial to President Donald Trump. Its presidential debate, co-moderated by David Muir and Linsey Davis, was panned by conservatives for its one-sided fact-checking, and former Vice President Kamala Harris' friendship with Disney exec Dana Walden, who oversees all of ABC programming, raised eyebrows.
It seemed that ABC was trying to turn a new leaf with Trump upon his return to office by settling his defamation lawsuit against the network in December over comments made by anchor George Stephanopoulos. But the Kimmel controversy has reignited animus.
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Fox News' Sean Hannity slammed Kimmel as an "unhinged loser" and took aim at top Disney boss Bob Iger.
"Bob, are you OK with this seeming glorification of violence? Is this the inclusive woke, DEI, the ABC Disney brand?" Hannity asked. "You're the CEO of Disney. Are you proud of this?"
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, similarly slammed the network, asking, "Does ABC approve of Jimmy Kimmel’s on-air incitement of criminal behavior? Will ABC take any action or make any statement in response to it? If not, why not?"
CNN commentator Scott Jennings reacted, "The message from the American Left to conservatives is unmistakable: silence yourselves, or we will do it for you. This isn’t comedy - these are marching orders."
"ABC and Disney are just allowing this third-place, fifth-rate late-night host to advocate firebombings and shootings at Tesla dealerships. It’s the Antifa era in late night," Fox News contributor Joe Concha wrote on X.
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Former Vice President JD Vance also panned Kimmel but stressed his target audience is a far-left outlier in the American population.
"In defense of the American people, Jimmy Kimmel's show is so unfunny and boring and left-wing that it's probably not a representative sample," Vance laughed on Vince Coglianese's radio show. "If you go to a ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ viewing, you have to really be a humorless scold. So I hope that's isolated to a very small number of people."
ABC did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Fox News' Brian Flood contributed to this report.