Martina Navratilova reacts with concern to Jimmy Kimmel's show's shock suspension after controversial Charlie Kirk comments

Martina Navratilova has once again accused the Donald Trump administration of being 'dictatorial'. The Czech-American tennis legend's accusation stemmed from Disney's ABC's decision to indefinitely suspend Jimmy Kimmel Live!, a popular television show hosted by popular comedian Jimmy Kimmel. The decision was made after Kimmel made certain remarks about the late Charlie Kirk.

Kirk's brazen assassination as he was participating in a debate at the Utah Valley University sent shockwaves through the American political ecosystem. President Donald Trump and other prominent right-wing politicians and influencers vociferously condemned Kirk's murder. However, they also laid the blame for the assassination on the country's political left without any conclusive evidence.

Jimmy Kimmel also condemned the killing, but he also took swipes at the Republicans for the way they blamed the left, saying:

"The MAGA Gang desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it."

In the aftermath of Kimmel's comments, Disney's ABC made its move to indefinitely suspend the popular comedian's show. An X (formerly Twitter) user reacted to the development by implying that it's the Donald Trump administration that forced the indefinite suspension to take effect. Agreeing with the user, former World No. 1 tennis player and 18-time singles Major champion Martina Navratilova wrote:

"Yup"

The Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, also took to X and criticized the Trump administration for what he believes is a blatant attempt to curb free speech. Reacting to Newsom's post, Martina Navratilova wrote:

"This is all from the DICTATOR PLAYBOOK!!!"

Martina Navratilova herself condemned Charlie Kirk's assassination; pointed finger at Donald Trump for concerning political violence situation

Despite being firmly opposed to Donald Trump and the Republicans, Martina Navratilova was quite critical of the act of violence that led to Charlie Kirk's death. In the aftermath of the tragedy, the Czech-American took to X to condemn the assassination. Navratilova also laid bare her frustration at the rising instances of political violence in the USA.

"Political violence is never ok. This is an abhorrent act from an abhorrent individual. It is a sad day in many ways as this kind of stuff is way too common….," she wrote.

Not long after, Navratilova expressed her agreement with an X user who blamed Trump for the crisis of political violence that seems to have the entirety of the USA on edge.

About the author

Sudipto is a Tennis journalist at Sportskeeda holding a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. He has an experience of 3+ years across the market research, travel, health, lifestyle and sports sectors.

Sudipto has followed Tennis since the early 2000s and stays up-to-date with the sport by following both active and former Tennis players, and seasoned journalists. He also follows ATP and WTA updates, watches documentaries and interviews of professionals, and only reads esteemed publications. He sources all information for his articles only from credible publications stays away from unsubstantiated claims. In just a matter of 3 months, he has gained a readership of almost 2 million at Sportskeeda!

Sudipto admires Rafael Nadal for his fiercely competitive on-court nature and his ability to make memorable comebacks after injury layoffs. The Spaniard may be the GOAT for him, but he also respects the accomplishments of Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.

Beyond Tennis, Sudipto also has an interest in music, football, and video games alongside cooking and traveling.

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Edited by Sudipto Pati