Comedian Ike Barinholtz, guest hosting "Jimmy Kimmel Live!," faced backlash from users on X, formerly Twitter, for jokes made about the late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and his sister, Darline Graham Nordone.
Graham died suddenly on Saturday at the age of 71. His sister, Darline Graham Nordone, has been appointed to serve out the remainder of his Senate term. This news became the subject of Barinholtz's monologue jokes.
During the show, Barinholtz quipped about Graham's sister replacing him, stating, "she said she'll work very hard over the next several months to support the president, and she pledges to suck his tits even harder than her brother did." He also performed a bit where he introduced his own sister, in drag, as his replacement guest host.
These jokes prompted condemnation on X, with users calling the remarks "disgusting," "pure trash," and "not funny." One user described Barinholtz as a "Disgusting leftist irrelevant pukestain."
Senator Graham, who represented South Carolina, died shortly after returning from a trip to Ukraine. An initial report from his office indicated the preliminary cause of death was aortic dissection brought on by arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with further testing underway.
Republican Governor Henry McMaster announced that Graham's sister would complete his current term, which expires in January. A special GOP primary election for Graham's Senate seat is scheduled for August 11, with a potential runoff on August 25.
This incident echoes a past controversy involving "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" In September, the show was briefly suspended after host Jimmy Kimmel suggested that the killer of Charlie Kirk may have been part of the "MAGA gang." The accused gunman in that case reportedly held leftist views. The suspension was met with significant outcry, and the show returned to air within a week.