“Jimmy Kimmel blaming MAGA for Charlie Kirk’s murder is not worthy”: Jason Whitlock suggests ABC grooming Stephen A. Smith for bigger spotlight

Jason Whitlock shared his take on the situation involving Jimmy Kimmel, linking it to Stephen A. Smith. Kimmel, whose late-night talk show has aired on ABC since 2003, was indefinitely suspended on Wednesday after making comments about Charlie Kirk’s death.

Kimmel referred to the right-wing as the “MAGA gang,” suggesting that they were doing everything possible to frame Kirk’s alleged killer as something other than a Republican. He also poked fun at Donald Trump, likening his reaction to Kirk’s death to a toddler grieving the death of a goldfish.

Hours later, Kimmel’s show was suspended by ABC. Jason Whitlock reacted to the situation on X, suggesting that Kimmel is being cancelled to make way for Stephen A. Smith. He criticized the ESPN talk-show host, calling him fraudulent. Whitlock also suggested that this is all being done to prepare Smith for his presidential run.

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“Prepare yourself for fraudulent, middle-of-the-road guy Stephen A Smith to replace Jimmy Kimmel,” Whitlock wrote. “This manufactured controversy around Kimmel blaming MAGA for Charlie Kirk's murder is not worthy of this overreaction from ABC. This is all part of the grooming process.”

While Kimmel is facing significant criticism for his comments on Charlie Kirk, he was among many celebrities who condemned the attack on Instagram, sending love to Kirk’s family.

Stephen A. Smith is reportedly making close to $40 million per year

There’s no doubt about Stephen A. Smith’s status as one of the highest-paid media personalities. Smith has a five-year, $105 million deal with ESPN. He also signed a new lucrative deal with SiriusXM, which will see him earn up to $36 million on a three-year deal.

Apart from this, Smith is also expected to rake in close to $7 million from his YouTube channel and podcast. Combined, his yearly earnings are approaching $40 million a year. To put these numbers into perspective, Kevin Durant’s deal from 2022 saw him earn $194,219,320. Meaning his average annual salary was close to $48 million.

Whether Whitlock’s claims of Smith’s preparations for a presidential run are true or not, he is surely making a financial empire in the media business. With the amount of time Smith already spends on air, it is hard to imagine him being part of a late-night show.

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Sameer Khan

Sameer is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who covers a diverse range of topics. He is currently pursuing a BSc degree from BITS, but his love for video games pushed him to pursue a gaming journalism career. He relies on diligent research and fact-checking to deliver top-notch content. He has previously worked in the hospitality sector with the Oberoi Group.

Sameer’s gaming journey began with Rockstar Games’ GTA franchise, specifically
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He strongly prefers multiplayer games, with FPS being his favorite genre, and has devoted 6K+ hours to CS:GO! However, he also dabbles in open-world, story-based games from time to time. Solo RPGs like Horizon Forbidden West hold a soft spot in his heart, and he would readily drop in it given a Jumanji-type scenario.

Sameer makes sure to follow Counter-Strike and Valorant esports tournaments, as he believes that watching a game being played at the highest level can be highly educational. He derives inspiration from Tarik's meteoric rise to become one of the biggest FPS streamers in the world following the release of Valorant.

Outside of work, you can find Sameer playing football or cheering for FC Barcelona. He also likes to read and write poetry.

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