Benny Johnson's Case for Why ABC Pulling Kimmel Wasn't Censorship

Showing 5 Consequence Culture videos from Charlie Kirk's video collection.

Consequence culture became the specific term conservative commentators used to distinguish their position from ordinary cancel culture after ABC affiliates pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live following his on-air comments about Charlie Kirk's assassination. Benny Johnson, who publicly led calls for Kimmel's removal, argued the distinction rests on substance rather than offense: Kimmel's comments implied Kirk's own movement bore responsibility for his death, which Johnson characterized as effectively blaming the victim and signaling tolerance for violence against a specific political side, not merely an edgy joke comparable to Dave Chappelle's material. Brandon Tatum extended the same distinction to private employment decisions, defending companies' right to fire employees, including a Microsoft diversity staffer, who celebrated Kirk's shooting online, while noting his own disagreements with some of Kirk's actual positions. Kimmel's ratings data, showing a 73% drop among viewers 25 to 54 after his return, became a separate point of discussion for commentators Dana White and Joe Rogan, who argued Kimmel's show operates as ideological messaging for a shrinking, aging audience rather than genuine entertainment. Trump adviser Alex Bruesewitz framed the broader dispute as accountability for demonstrably false statements rather than punishment for opinion.