Former late-night talk show host Jay Leno lamented the "death of free speech" during an interview in which he responded to the disgusting attack that killed conservative activist Charlie Kirk last week.
Leno, appearing on "The Tim Conway Jr. Show", refused to hold back his thoughts on the assassination, describing the killer as too intellectually lacking to actually engage in civil discourse, thus resulting in his need to turn to violence.
“It’s not a random shooting. I mean, it’s the death of free speech, to think that you are so illiterate and so stupid you can’t answer verbally, and you have to shoot somebody with a gun to quote 'win the argument,'” he said in the immediate aftermath of Kirk's death.
Kirk, just 31 years of age, was fatally shot in the neck while speaking at a Utah Valley University event, part of his “American Comeback Tour.” The alleged shooter has since been apprehended, and while a motive has yet to be ascribed, evidence, including messages on shell casings, shows they were radicalized by extreme leftist rhetoric heard online and in mainstream media coverage of conservatives.
Leno contrasted the horrific attack with the civil debates he enjoyed in college.
"When I was in school, lively debate was unbelievable, to have the SDS, the Students for Democratic Society, debate somebody else," the former host of "The Tonight Show" continued. "I can remember when James Baldwin debated William F. Buckley at Oxford University. It was just fascinating."
“This is a political assassination of a man whom I didn’t necessarily agree with, but I certainly enjoyed listening to. Because, ‘Oh, I didn’t know that, okay’ — and I didn’t have to agree on everything [with Kirk],” Leno added. “I mean, we’re at a point in this country where, if you don’t agree with everybody on everything, you take out a gun and you shoot them?”
Jay Leno on with Tim Conway Jr. Show on @KFIAM640 says the assassination of Charlie Kirk “it’s the death of free speech”. pic.twitter.com/7hCmVm1ygt
— Tim Conway Jr Show (@ConwayShow) September 11, 2025
READ MORE: DC Comics Cancels Batman Spinoff After Writer’s Sickening Posts Mocking Charlie Kirk’s Death Surface
Jay Leno Slams Late-Night Show Hosts After CBS Cancels Colbert Show
Leno, known for his balanced comedic approach, was known for poking fun at both Democrats and Republicans during his tenure as host of "The Tonight Show." It was never in an angry or mean-spirited manner.
His tactic was not only fair but also allowed him to connect with diverse audiences without alienating viewers based on their political affiliations.
🎤 Jay Leno absolutely nails it 🎤
— Philip Couper (@P_Couper) July 28, 2025
In a recent interview with Fox News, the late night legend called out CBS for axing The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and more importantly, he took aim at what comedy has now become.
“I don’t understand why you would alienate one particular… pic.twitter.com/SPRn4DtWwN
Leno spoke on that this past summer, taking a jab at late-night hosts who cater to far-left audiences as news of the cancellation of Stephen Colbert's show began to circulate.
"I don’t think anybody wants to hear a lecture," Leno said in an interview for The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation this past summer. "Why shoot for just half an audience? Why not try to get the whole? I like to bring people into the big picture. I don't understand why you would alienate one particular group."
Kirk also liked bringing people into the big picture. He did not alienate those who disagreed with him.
Colbert opened his show immediately following the Kirk assassination, condemning political violence.
"Our condolences go out to his family and all of his loved ones. I am old enough to personally remember the political violence of the 1960s, and I hope it is obvious to everyone in America that political violence does not solve any of our political differences," Colbert said.
Colbert, likewise, wondered what would become of this world following the assassination.
"I pray with all my heart that this is the aberrant action of a madman and not a sign of things to come," he concluded.
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