ABC has announced that Jimmy Kimmel Live! will be suspended “indefinitely” following backlash over comments made by host Jimmy Kimmel regarding the killing of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.
The announcement came shortly after Brendan Carr, the Trump-appointed chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), warned that broadcasters risked fines or potential license revocation if action was not taken against the show.
The network, which is owned by Disney, confirmed on Wednesday night, September 17, that Kimmel’s late-night program would be pulled from its schedule for the foreseeable future.
“Jimmy Kimmel Live! will be preempted indefinitely,” an ABC spokesperson said, explaining that other shows would take its place during the usual timeslot.
Former U.S. president Donald Trump praised the move on social media, calling it “great news for America” and congratulating ABC for its “courage.” He also took aim at NBC’s late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers, calling them “total losers,” referencing the earlier cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s show.
The suspension followed Nexstar Media Group’s decision to stop airing Kimmel’s episodes on its stations nationwide, saying it “strongly objected” to his remarks. Sinclair Broadcast Group also announced plans to air a tribute to Charlie Kirk during Kimmel’s timeslot on Friday.
Brendan Carr thanked Nexstar for “doing the right thing,” stressing that local broadcasters have a duty to serve the public interest and push back on programming deemed harmful to the community.
The controversy stems from Kimmel’s Monday and Tuesday monologues, where he criticized attempts to politicize Kirk’s killing and called out U.S. Vice President JD Vance for blaming the left without evidence. Kimmel cited data showing far-right groups as the largest source of domestic extremist violence in the U.S., mocking Vance’s claim as “complete bullshit.”
Andrew Alford, Nexstar’s president of broadcasting, described Kimmel’s remarks as “offensive and insensitive at a critical time,” saying the decision to preempt the show was necessary “to let cooler heads prevail” and encourage constructive public dialogue.
Kimmel has yet to issue a personal statement on the suspension. Meanwhile, many Americans have taken to social media to question whether free speech is under threat in the United States.
