New York: ABC has suspended Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show indefinitely starting Wednesday following his comments regarding the killing of Charlie Kirk. The remarks prompted a group of ABC-affiliated stations to announce they would no longer air the show.
Kimmel, a veteran late-night comedian, made several statements on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” during Monday and Tuesday nights about the reaction to Kirk’s assassination. Notably, he said that “many in MAGA land are working very hard to capitalise on the murder of Charlie Kirk.”
ABC, which has been broadcasting Kimmel’s show since 2003, acted quickly after Nexstar Communications Group declared it would pull the show beginning Wednesday. Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar’s broadcasting division, said Kimmel’s comments about Kirk’s death “are offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse.” Nexstar operates 23 ABC affiliates.
There was no immediate response from Kimmel, whose contract lasts until May 2026. ABC’s official statement did not specify a reason for the show’s preemption.
### President Trump Praises ABC’s Decision
Former US President Donald Trump applauded ABC’s move on Truth Social, writing: “Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done.” Trump also criticized late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers, suggesting they should be canceled too, calling them “two total losers.”
In July, after CBS canceled “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” Trump expressed enthusiasm over the decision on his social media platform, stating: “I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings. I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. Has even less talent than Colbert!”
Like Colbert, Kimmel has been consistently critical of Trump and many of his policies.
### Kimmel’s Comments on Charlie Kirk’s Death
During his Monday monologue, Kimmel stated, “we hit some new lows over the weekend with 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.”
Authorities say Tyler Robinson, 22, who is charged with killing Kirk, grew up in a conservative household in southern Utah but became involved with “leftist ideology.” His parents told investigators that he had shifted politically to the left and supported LGBTQ rights in the past year. Utah records show he was registered to vote but was not affiliated with any political party. His voter status is inactive, indicating he did not vote in two recent general elections.
Robinson reportedly told his transgender partner that he targeted Kirk because he “had enough of his hatred.”
### Audience Reaction and Cancellation Surprise
An audience was lined up outside the theater for the taping of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” when they were informed that the Wednesday show was canceled.
Tommy Williams, a would-be audience member from Jacksonville, Florida, told The Associated Press, “We were just about to walk in—interestingly enough, they waited to pull the plug right as the studio audience was about to enter. They didn’t tell us what had happened, just that the show was canceled.”
Initially worried someone might have been injured, Williams soon saw ABC’s announcement that the preemption was indefinite.
Unaware of Kimmel’s comments on Kirk prior to the cancellation, Williams sought them out afterward. He commented, “They didn’t really seem to justify the means. It seemed a bit extreme. It wasn’t insulting, and it had nothing to do directly with Charlie Kirk. Kimmel didn’t even say anything ill about Charlie Kirk—it was about the shooter.”
### Further Remarks by Kimmel and Political Responses
Kimmel criticized Trump’s response to Kirk’s death, saying, “This is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he called a friend. This is how a 4-year-old mourns a goldfish, OK?”
He also took aim at FBI chief Kash Patel’s handling of the investigation, stating Patel acted “like a kid who didn’t read the book, BSing his way through an oral report.”
On Tuesday night, Kimmel mocked Vice President JD Vance’s guest hosting of Kirk’s podcast, accusing Trump of “fanning the flames” by attacking left-wing individuals. He questioned the inconsistent portrayal of the left, saying, “Which is it, are they a bunch of sissy pickleball players because they’re too scared to be hit by tennis balls, or a well-organized deadly team of commandos? They can’t be both.”
### FCC and Conservative Reactions
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee, called Kimmel’s comments on the Kirk case among the “sickest conduct possible” during a Wednesday morning interview with conservative podcaster Benny Johnson.
“There are calls for Kimmel to be fired. I think you could certainly see a path forward for suspension over this,” Carr said. He accused Kimmel of making an “intentional effort” to mislead the public into believing Charlie Kirk’s assassin was a right-wing Trump supporter.
The conservative interest group Center for American Rights cited Carr’s comments in a complaint filed Wednesday against ABC, adding to an earlier complaint from September accusing ABC of political bias. They alleged Kimmel showed “reckless indifference or willful defiance of facts” and urged the FCC to take ABC off the air if the network did not remove Kimmel from the show first.
FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez criticized the administration for “using the weight of government power to suppress lawful expression” in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
### Increased Political Pressure on Media
The suspension comes amid heightened efforts by the Trump administration and political allies to regulate speech about Kirk’s death. Earlier this week, Vice President JD Vance urged Americans to report individuals mocking the assassination.
This latest development reflects an ongoing administration effort to exert influence over media outlets. Chairman Carr has launched investigations into media organizations perceived to have angered Trump, while the former president has filed lawsuits against multiple news organizations for negative coverage.
### Related Media Landscape Changes
CBS announced this past summer that it would cancel Stephen Colbert’s show at the end of the current season, citing financial reasons, though some critics speculated that Colbert’s criticism of Trump may have played a role.
Shortly after the cancellation, the FCC approved CBS parent company Paramount’s long-pending deal with Skydance.
Meanwhile, ABC’s parent company, Disney, is awaiting regulatory approval for ESPN’s acquisition of the NFL Network.
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*Note: Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ’s editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.*
https://www.freepressjournal.in/entertainment/abc-suspends-jimmy-kimmels-late-night-show-indefinitely-over-his-remarks-on-charlie-kirks-death