Toby Keith was well known as one of country music’s most patriotic stars, thanks in part to songs like “The Angry American (Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue.)”
His son Stelen shares his late father’s patriotism and interest in politics.
In the wake of Charlie Kirk‘s fatal shooting last week, Stelen has shared several social media posts paying tribute to Kirk and condemning those who celebrate his death.
But he stopped short of agreeing with the decision to indefinitely suspend Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, due to the comedian’s controversial remarks following Kirk’s death.
“For what it’s worth — Not a fan of Kimmel’s but I think what Kimmel said probably didn’t warrant a firing,” Stelen wrote in an Instagram Stories slide.
“He’s said much worse,” he added.
He also pointed out that the decision to take Kimmel off air was “like just a business decision to save money,” and added that it probably won’t stop Kimmel from expressing his opinions to the public.
Stelen Covel, Instagram
“He will do a show on Netflix or Hulu or a podcast or some other slop and make the same money,” Covel concluded.
What Did Jimmy Kimmel Say About Charlie Kirk’s Death?
According to Variety, the decision to pull Jimmy Kimmel Live! off air stems from Kimmel’s monologue on Monday night (Sept. 15), in which he addressed Kirk’s assassination, and the conversation surrounding the suspected shooter.
Kirk was shot and killed during a speaking engagement at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10. He was 31 years old.
“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who killed Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them,” Kimmel said, in a segment that opened the show.
He also aired a clip of U.S. president Donald Trump responding to a reporter’s question about how he’s feeling after Kirk’s death.
In that video, Trump quickly diverts the question to point out the construction trucks working on a new White House ballroom.
“Yes, he’s at the fourth stage of grief: Construction,” Kimmel joked.
Read More: Kane Brown Attacked Online After Posting About Charlie Kirk
Nexstar Media Group, which is the largest local television broadcaster in the U.S. with over 200 stations, was among the first to act. In a statement, the company said it would preempt Jimmy Kimmel Live! across all of its ABC-affiliated markets.
What Were Toby Keith’s Political Views?
Though Keith was closely associated with conservative politics, and his music has frequently been performed at Trump rallies, the singer’s political views during his life might be a little more nuanced than some fans expect.
He was a registered Democrat until 2008, when he re-registered as an Independent.
“I was a Democrat my whole life. They kind of disowned me when I started supporting the troops,” he told the Chicago Tribune in 2016.
“I’ve never been a registered Republican,” he added at the time. “It just keeps people off balance. They don’t know what to think.”
Keith — who died in February 2024 after a battle with stomach cancer — performed at Trump’s first presidential inauguration in 2017.
Read More: Toby Keith Dead at 62 After Cancer Battle
In an interview that year with the Atlantic, he said the decision to play was a show of support for America, more than toward Trump specifically. “[If] the president of the frickin’ United States asks you to do something and you can go, you should go instead of being a jack-off,” he commented.
In 2016, Keith made disapproving comments about both presidential candidates in the running at the time — Trump and Hillary Clinton — and later called that year’s election a “dumpster fire.”
It’s hard to say what Keith would make of today’s political climate, though it’s a fairly safe bet that he would have continued his ardent support for the U.S. military, and maintained his love for the country as a whole.
8 Canceled Country Celebrities + What They Did To Earn It
There are certain things you never say and certainly things you never do in country music. Honestly, most of what got these eight celebrities canceled in country would get you scrubbed in other forms of entertainment as well, but not all of them (see No. 4 and No. 7).
This list is here to report history, not to offer an opinion on if justice was served. Five of the eight stars bounced back, and one even worked his way into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Time heals most wounds, it seems.
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
