Disney-owned ABC has pulled Jimmy Kimmel Reside off the air indefinitely after the host brought about controversy with remarks about Charlie Kirk’s alleged killer.
“Jimmy Kimmel Reside can be preempted indefinitely,” an ABC spokesperson mentioned, declining to share any additional particulars.
Prosecutors have charged 22-year-old Tyler Robinson with Kirk’s homicide. Robinson is accused of getting shot and killed Kirk whereas the conservative activist was talking at Utah Valley College on September 10. Robinson surrendered after a two-day manhunt.
Right here’s what Kimmel mentioned that led to outrage amongst conservatives, and what the ABC and others have mentioned since:
What occurred?
In his opening monologue on Monday, Kimmel, a vocal critic of US President Donald Trump, accused “the MAGA gang” of making an attempt to “rating political factors” from Kirk’s homicide, saying they have been fast responsible the left earlier than a lot was recognized concerning the shooter’s motives. MAGA, or “Make America Nice Once more”, is the right-wing political motion that varieties Trump’s base.
“The MAGA gang (is) desperately making an attempt to characterise this child who murdered Charlie Kirk as something aside from one in all them and doing the whole lot they will to attain political factors from it,” Kimmel mentioned on his present. “In between the finger-pointing, there was grieving,” he added.
He continued to criticise Trump’s response to the taking pictures.
“This isn’t how an grownup grieves the homicide of somebody he calls a good friend. That is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish,” Kimmel added.
The remarks angered conservatives and triggered pushback from the Trump administration.
Brian Kilmeade can hold his job after saying we should always kill the homeless, however Jimmy Kimmel will get suspended for this? pic.twitter.com/now6OJqQ8r
— Mike Nellis (@MikeNellis) September 18, 2025
“What he mentioned on Monday was he recommended the suspected shooter of Charlie Kirk was a pro-Trump Republican,” Al Jazeera’s Heidi Zhou-Castro famous, including that Kimmel spoke earlier than authorities launched textual content messages displaying the suspected killer was really politically against Kirk.
The subsequent day, Robinson appeared in courtroom, charged with aggravated homicide. A exact motive stays unclear, however in courtroom paperwork, prosecutors have cited his relations telling them that he had veered to the left politically lately, and thought Kirk was filled with hate.
In textual content messages to his flatmate and romantic associate after Kirk’s assassination, Robinson mentioned: “I had sufficient of his hatred.” Then, in a separate message, he added: “Some hate can’t be negotiated out.”
But Kimmel returned to the subject on Tuesday night time, the place he accused Trump of “fanning the flames” by attacking folks on the left. The Trump administration has mentioned it’s going to crack down on left-wing teams, whom it accuses of ratcheting up hate towards conservatives. On Wednesday, Trump additionally mentioned that he deliberate to designate the Antifa left-wing political motion a “terrorist” organisation.
Brendan Carr, chairman of the Federal Communications Fee (FCC), advised right-wing podcaster Benny Johnson on Wednesday that he had a powerful case for taking motion towards Kimmel, ABC and Disney. The FCC is accountable for granting licences to broadcasters such because the ABC and its associates.
“This can be a very, very severe difficulty proper now for Disney,” Carr mentioned. “They’ve a licence granted by us on the FCC, and that comes with it an obligation to function within the public curiosity.”
Based on a Bloomberg report, quoting sources, Kimmel had deliberate to handle the backlash on his present on Wednesday and rehearsed it that morning.
Carr additionally urged media corporations that personal native tv stations to “push again”.
What was the fallout?
Nexstar, which owns a number of ABC associates, appeared to comply with that decision, saying it will drop Jimmy Kimmel Reside from its associates even earlier than ABC itself confirmed the suspension.
The corporate mentioned on Wednesday it will not air the present “for the foreseeable future, starting with tonight’s present”.
Kimmel’s remarks about Kirk have been “offensive and insensitive at a vital time in our nationwide political discourse,” Nexstar added.
Carr expressed approval for Nexstar’s choice, thanking them “for doing the precise factor”.
Nexstar, which describes itself because the nation’s largest native tv and media firm, wants FCC approval for its $6.2bn deal to amass smaller rival Tegna.
I wish to thank Nexstar for doing the precise factor.
Native broadcasters have an obligation to serve the general public curiosity. Whereas this can be an unprecedented choice, it can be crucial for broadcasters to push again on Disney programming that they decide falls in need of neighborhood… https://t.co/Px5boYbqNR
— Brendan Carr (@BrendanCarrFCC) September 17, 2025
What was Trump’s response?
Trump described it as “nice information for America” shortly after ABC revealed Kimmel had been suspended.
“The rankings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Present is CANCELLED. Congratulations to ABC for lastly having the braveness to do what needed to be carried out,” Trump mentioned.
He then criticised two different late-night hosts, Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers, who he described as “two complete losers, on Pretend Information NBC. Their rankings are additionally horrible.”
JD Vance, the US vice chairman, earlier this week urged Individuals to show in fellow residents who mocked the assassination.
In July, after CBS cancelled The Late Present with Stephen Colbert, Trump mentioned: “I completely love that Colbert obtained fired. His expertise was even lower than his rankings. I hear Jimmy Kimmel is subsequent. Has even much less expertise than Colbert!”
CBS mentioned the ‘Late Present’ was dropped for monetary causes however its timing, three days after Colbert blasted a settlement between Trump and CBS mother or father firm Paramount, led two senators to query whether or not politics have been at play.
“Nice Information for America: The rankings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Present is CANCELLED. Congratulations to @ABC for lastly having the braveness to do what needed to be carried out…” – President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/Vhj6DQSssu
— The White Home (@WhiteHouse) September 18, 2025
Who’s Jimmy Kimmel?
Jimmy Kimmel is among the many most recognisable figures in US late-night tv. He has hosted Jimmy Kimmel Reside on ABC since 2003, making him one of many longest-serving talk-show hosts nonetheless on air.
Earlier than breaking into tv, Kimmel constructed his profession in radio, working as a number in Seattle, Tampa, and Tucson earlier than finally shifting to Los Angeles, the place he transitioned into TV.
Through the years, Kimmel has change into recognized for his monologues, celeb interviews and viral comedy segments. He has additionally taken on a extra political edge lately, steadily criticising Trump and weighing in on social debates.
Kimmel has additionally hosted Who Desires to Be a Millionaire?, which gained him an Emmy, and large dwell occasions just like the Oscars.
In recent times, in response to experiences, Kimmel has scaled again his workload, usually taking summers off from the present. His present contract with ABC is ready to run out in lower than a yr, elevating questions on whether or not he’ll prolong his run or step away after 20 years on air.
When his contract extension was introduced, he joked, “After 20 years at ABC, I’m now wanting ahead to a few years of what they name ‘quiet quitting.’”
How standard was his present?
Late-night viewership, like a lot of conventional tv, has been declining as audiences migrate to streaming platforms and social media.
Based on Nielsen, a United States media viewers measurement agency, Jimmy Kimmel Reside drew a median of 1.57 million viewers per episode throughout the broadcast season that led to Could.
Throughout the identical interval, The Late Present with Stephen Colbert led the sector, averaging 1.9 million viewers.
The US Tv Database confirmed Jimmy Kimmel Reside attracting about 1.1 million viewers per episode – a 0.35 % ranking, down 11 % from the earlier month – based mostly on viewers measurements for the interval ending August 31, 2025.
