ABC has abruptly pulled late-night host Jimmy Kimmel off the air indefinitely following remarks he made about the shooting of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, igniting a fierce political and cultural backlash.
“Jimmy Kimmel Live will be pre-empted indefinitely,” a spokesperson for the Disney-owned network confirmed in a statement on Wednesday. The move came days after Kimmel used his Monday night monologue to accuse the “Maga gang” of trying to score political points from Kirk’s killing.
Kimmel, who has frequently mocked former President Donald Trump on-air, did not comment to reporters as he quietly left the show’s Hollywood Boulevard studio wearing a flannel shirt and cap. Earlier, he had taken to Instagram to condemn the attack and send “love” to the 31-year-old activist’s family.
A 22-year-old suspect, Tyler Robinson, has appeared in court charged with aggravated murder. Prosecutors are reportedly seeking the death penalty.
President Trump celebrated ABC’s decision, calling it “great news for America” and posting on social media that “The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED. Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done.”
In his controversial monologue, Kimmel criticized flags being flown at half-mast in Kirk’s honour and mocked Trump’s public grieving. “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,” Kimmel said.
Nexstar Media, one of the country’s largest local TV station groups, announced it would not air Jimmy Kimmel Live! “for the foreseeable future,” calling Kimmel’s remarks “offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse.” Sinclair Broadcast Group, the largest ABC affiliate group in the U.S., also pulled the show, replacing it with a remembrance program for Kirk.
Brendan Carr, chair of the Federal Communications Commission and a Trump appointee, thanked Nexstar for “doing the right thing” and urged other broadcasters to follow suit, calling Kimmel’s comments “the sickest conduct possible.” Carr suggested an apology from Kimmel would be a “very reasonable, minimal step.”
Anna Gomez, the only Democratic member of the FCC, blasted Carr’s stance, warning on X that “an inexcusable act of political violence by one disturbed individual must never be exploited as justification for broader censorship or control.”
The Writers Guild of America condemned the suspension as a violation of free speech rights, while Sag-Aftra, another Hollywood union, called it “the type of suppression and retaliation that endangers everyone’s freedoms.”
Despite the uproar, a person familiar with the situation told CNBC that Kimmel has not been fired and that network executives plan to meet with him before he returns on air.
Fans queuing outside the studio for the taping expressed disappointment. “Freedom of speech. He shared his opinion and is being cancelled. To me that is bizarre,” said Janna Blackwell, a visitor from Virginia. A small protest also formed outside the studio with signs reading “Trump must go now.”
The decision underscores the mounting challenges facing traditional late-night television as audiences migrate to streaming platforms. CBS recently announced plans to end The Late Show with Stephen Colbert after 11 seasons, while industry insiders say network executives are increasingly wary of controversy amid declining viewership.
ABC’s suspension of Kimmel marks a dramatic flashpoint in the culture wars surrounding free speech, media responsibility, and political polarization following Kirk’s killing — and raises questions about the future of America’s once-dominant late-night TV format.
