“The Five” was divided on the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” host’s future, with Jessica Tarlov saying he’s become an “un-fireable” avatar for free speech

White House calls on Fox News to apologize after top host's 'sickening' Islamophobic rant | CNN Business

Jimmy Kimmel is the denominator that keeps dividing “The Five,” with Jesse Watters saying the ABC late night host’s days are numbered – while Jessica Tarlov believes he’s become an “un-fireable” lightning rod for the free-speech debate.

Whatever happens to Kimmel, everyone agreed that Kimmel’s comeback monologue Tuesday night fell short of an actual apology for insinuating that Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old who shot and killed Charlie Kirk, was a MAGA supporter.

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“Jimmy Kimmel is back on the air after a four-show suspension,” Dana Perino said Wednesday to open the discussion on the Fox News panel show, “but dozens of affiliate stations refused to carry it – and it is all over his false claim that Charlie Kirk’s suspected session was part of the MAGA gang. That is the line he did not apologize for last night.”

“The Five” played a clip of Kimmel’s emotional statement, in which he said: “It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man. For those who think I did point a finger, I get why you are upset. I don’t think the murderer who shot Charlie Kirk represents anyone. This was a sick person who believed violence was a solution, and it isn’t.”

Kimmel’s next sentence scolded Donald Trump rooting for him and his staff to be fired “because he can’t take a joke.”

Watters was first to offer a rebuttal.“It wasn’t really an apology,” Watters said. “He did point the finger at us for killing our friend. A lawyer wrote it, he read it … are the affiliates probably going to come back? Probably. But this guy doesn’t have the juice to go to war. He’s in third place. He has a staff of … 100? What does Greg [Gutfeld, also seated at the table] have, 13? He is getting paid $15 million a year. He has already lost probably a quarter of his advertisers, and I don’t even think Disney is going to renew his contract. He’s not good for business … He has a right to say whatever he wants. He doesn’t have a right to a job in a network television.”Perino then threw it to Jessica Tarlov – a Democratic advisor and “The Five” resident non-Republican – who had reason to believe that Watters will be proven wrong.

“In the process, Trump has basically made Kimmel un-fireable at this point, even if his ratings go down to three people watching it, [Disney] will not be able to do it because now he has become the lightning rod, the signal, the avatar for this fight about the First Amendment and government overreach.”

Watch the entire exchange in the video above.