Jimmy Kimmel delivers the opening monologue during the 96th Oscars on March 10, 2024.

Turning Point USA spokesman Andrew Kolvet wasn't impressed by Jimmy Kimmel's opening monologue Tuesday, Sept 23, sharing in a recent interview that the late-night host offered the American public excuses, instead of an apology for his controversial comments regarding the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk.

"Well, an apology for one, Bill. When somebody like Jimmy Kimmel says that the shooter was, of Charlie, was MAGA, what he's really saying is that it's OK to lie about conservatives. That their lives don't matter," Kolvet said during an interview with Bill Hemmer, co-anchor of Fox News Channel's "America's Newsroom" on Thursday, Sept. 24.

Kimmel, who returned to host his late-night talk show after a six-day suspension by ABC, spoke about the comments he made about Kirk's death on Sept. 15. In his nearly 18-minute monologue, he addressed both the support and backlash that followed his remarks.

Kolvet, who is also an executive producer on "The Charlie Kirk Show," was adamant that Kimmel's comments were part of "an agenda," one that was both political and cultural in nature and was "more important than the life of my friend, who was just taken from us and robbed from us."

See what else Kolvet had to say about Kimmel's speech, including why the comedian was suspended in the first place.

Andrew Kolvet: 'Contrition' involves accountability, apology

"Where was the 'I'm sorry?'" Kolvet told Hemmer on Fox. "Where was the contrition? Yeah, he was emotional, but I think he was emotional because A.) He's really good on camera and B.) Because he's been under the gun for the last couple of days, that's what he's emotional about."

According to Kolvet, when people like Jimmy Kimmel skirt around the truth and refuse to take accountability, it "sends a signal that there is a whole institutional machinery, apparatus that's prepared to defend these evil doers and that's not OK."

"Instead, he was defiant. He parsed his words. He tried to thread a needle and play both sides. And that's not how we get healing in this country," Kolvet said. "He needs to say, 'This is not OK.' I won't do it again and for anybody else out there thinking about doing violence, political violence: Stop, it's not OK."

He added: "What we need is 'I'm sorry.' I lied. I was wrong. And I won't do it again. And my apologies to the Kirk family and Erika Kirk. That would've been contrition."

Why was Jimmy Kimmel suspended?

Kimmel, who has been a late-night host for over 20 years, was suspended "indefinitely" following backlash from Nexstar Media Group, Sinclair Broadcast Group and the Federal Communications Commission over comments made on a Sept. 15 episode about Kirk's assassination.

The comedian said that the "MAGA gang" was "desperately trying to characterize" Tyler Robinson, the suspect charged in connection with the fatal shooting, as "anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it."

Later that day, Nexstar Media Group said it would not air Kimmel's show on its ABC affiliates due to the comments, and Disney subsequently suspended production of the show.

The decision, which sparked significant backlash across the entertainment industry and beyond, was reversed by Disney on Sept. 22 amid the growing outcry, including allegations of government censorship. Sinclair and Nexstar, though, said they would still not air Kimmel's show on their ABC affiliates.

Contributing: Brendan Morrow and Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Charlie Kirk Show' producer criticizes Jimmy Kimmel's monologue for lack of apology

Reporting by Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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