What's Inside?
- Jimmy Kimmel sparked outrage with controversial comments about Charlie Kirk’s assassination, accusing MAGA supporters of political exploitation and hypocrisy.
- ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! indefinitely after backlash, with Nexstar affiliates and FCC pressure influencing the network’s swift decision.
- Trump celebrated Kimmel’s suspension while Hollywood unions condemned censorship, highlighting deep divisions over free speech, politics, and late-night television’s future.
ABC has pulled late-night host Jimmy Kimmel off the air indefinitely, following remarks he made about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The decision has ignited a firestorm of political reactions, media debates, and free speech concerns, as critics and supporters clash over whether Kimmel’s words crossed the line or whether his suspension reflects dangerous censorship in American media.
Jimmy Kimmel’s Comments on Charlie Kirk’s Death Spark Controversy
The controversy began on Jimmy Kimmel Live! when the comedian addressed the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk. During his Monday night monologue, Jimmy Kimmel said:
“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.”
Kimmel criticized conservatives for attempting to spin the narrative and mocked the symbolic tributes that followed, including flags flown at half-mast and Donald Trump’s public response. He remarked, “This is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he calls a friend. This is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish.”
Jimmy Kimmel’s full comments on Charlie Kirk which led to his show being taken off air indefinitely. pic.twitter.com/Ctg7LL8HWL
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) September 18, 2025
Kimmel’s words sparked immediate backlash. Kirk, a high-profile figure on the right and founder of Turning Point USA, was gunned down on September 10 during an appearance at Utah Valley University. Authorities later charged 22-year-old Tyler Robinson with aggravated murder. While Robinson’s mother told investigators that her son had become more left-leaning and pro-LGBTQ in recent years, he was not registered to any political party. Despite that, Kimmel’s commentary tied the political fallout directly to Trump’s MAGA base, which enraged the former president’s supporters.
ABC Suspension, FCC Pressure, and Donald Trump’s Response
ABC, owned by Disney, quickly announced: “Jimmy Kimmel Live will be pre-empted indefinitely” (via CNN). Hours earlier, Nexstar Media Group, which operates dozens of ABC affiliates and is seeking FCC approval for a $6.2 billion merger, declared it would not air the program “for the foreseeable future.” Andrew Alford, Nexstar’s broadcasting president, called Kimmel’s words “offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse” (via Sky News).
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) intensified the drama. Chairman Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee, labeled Kimmel’s behavior as “the sickest conduct possible” and warned that broadcasters have a duty to serve the public interest. He suggested Disney and ABC could face consequences if they failed to take corrective action. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr said in an interview, signaling potential regulatory pressure.
President Donald Trump celebrated the news. On Truth Social, he wrote: “Great News for America: The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED. Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done.” He also took shots at other late-night hosts, calling Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers “two total losers, on Fake News NBC.”
Democratic FCC commissioner Anna Gomez pushed back, saying: “An inexcusable act of political violence by one disturbed individual must never be exploited as justification for broader censorship or control.” Hollywood unions, including the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA, blasted ABC for caving to political pressure. In their words, this was “the type of suppression and retaliation that endangers everyone’s freedoms.”
What Comes Next for Jimmy Kimmel and Late-Night Television
For now, Jimmy Kimmel Live! remains off the air, with ABC declining to specify when or if it will return. Insiders told outlets like CNBC that Kimmel has not been fired, and executives plan to speak with him about how to address the controversy if and when he comes back.
The suspension comes during a fragile period for late-night television. With CBS announcing the end of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert next year and streaming platforms pulling audiences away from network programming, Kimmel’s removal raises fresh questions about the survival of traditional late-night formats in an increasingly polarized and digital media landscape.
