Stephen Colbert has come to the defense of fellow late-night host Jimmy Kimmel following ABC’s decision to indefinitely pull Jimmy Kimmel Live from its lineup. Speaking during a Q&A before the taping of his Late Show on Thursday, Sept. 18, Colbert said, “This is weak. This is blatant censorship. With an autocrat, you cannot give an inch. Jimmy, I stand with you and your staff 100%.”

The controversy stems from Kimmel’s Sept. 15 monologue, in which he referenced the Sept. 10 assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk during a university event in Utah. Kimmel said at the time, “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang trying to characterize this kid who killed Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them.” The remarks drew sharp backlash, ultimately leading ABC and Nexstar to confirm on Sept. 17 that the show would be pulled.

Colbert’s comments come just weeks after he criticized Paramount, CBS’ parent company, for settling a lawsuit with President Donald Trump over claims of deceptive editing on 60 Minutes. Kimmel, meanwhile, responded on Instagram Stories with a clip of Colbert’s July 17 broadcast and a message of gratitude, writing, “Love you Stephen,” before taking aim at CBS executives with a blunt message: “F— you and all your Sheldons CBS.”