ABC has taken “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” off the air indefinitely following the host’s controversial comments about the recent killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
The network announced on Wednesday evening that the program will be “pre-empted indefinitely,” without providing further details. A representative for Kimmel has not responded to requests for comment.
The Controversial Monologue
During his Monday night opening monologue, Kimmel, 57, criticized what he described as efforts by supporters of former President Donald Trump to distance themselves from the suspect in Kirk’s murder, 19-year-old Tyler Robinson.
“The MAGA gang [is] desperately trying to characterize 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 said. He added, “In between the finger-pointing, there was grieving.”
The comments sparked swift backlash, particularly from conservative circles, and set off a chain of events that led to his show’s suspension.
Nexstar and Affiliate Stations Push Back
One of ABC’s largest affiliate operators, Nexstar Media Group, quickly moved to stop airing the late-night show across its ABC-affiliated stations.
“Nexstar strongly objects to recent comments made by Mr. Kimmel concerning the killing of Charlie Kirk and will replace the show with other programming in its ABC-affiliated markets,” the company said in a press release.
Andrew Alford, Nexstar’s broadcasting division president, called Kimmel’s remarks “offensive and insensitive” and argued that continuing to air the show was not in the public interest of local communities. The decision affects large swaths of the country, leaving ABC little choice but to pull the show nationally.
FCC Chairman Weighs In
The controversy has also drawn the attention of Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr, who blasted Kimmel’s remarks as “some of the sickest conduct possible.”
In an interview with conservative podcaster Benny Johnson, Carr suggested the FCC could take action against ABC’s affiliate licenses if Disney, ABC’s parent company, failed to act.
“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr said. “These companies can find ways to change conduct and take action on Kimmel, or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”
Carr also floated that a public apology or suspension would be a “reasonable” step, while some critics have openly called for Kimmel to be fired.
Political Divide and Free Speech Concerns
Not everyone within the FCC agreed. Anna Gomez, the sole Democratic commissioner, pushed back, warning against the use of government power to silence expression.
“The First Amendment does not allow us, the FCC, to tell broadcasters what they can broadcast,” Gomez said in an interview with CNN. While acknowledging that some may find Kimmel’s comments crude, she argued they were not illegal and should not serve as grounds for censorship.
“This sets a dangerous new precedent,” Gomez said, adding that companies must resist political pressure to trade away free-speech protections.
Broader Context
This move follows heightened political scrutiny of late-night television. In July, CBS announced that Stephen Colbert’s “The Late Show” would end after its next season — a decision officially attributed to financial reasons but widely speculated to be tied to Colbert’s controversial remarks about Donald Trump.
Meanwhile, President Trump, who has often sparred with Kimmel, has not commented directly on the show’s removal, though a White House social media account celebrated the move, calling the comedian a “sick freak.”
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