Last Updated:
US President Donald Trump hailed ABC’s suspension of Jimmy Kimmel as “nice information for America” whereas mocking different late-night hosts
Late night time speak present host Jimmy Kimmel. (REUTERS)
ABC, considered one of America’s greatest tv networks and owned by Disney, has suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! “indefinitely.” The late-night comedy present, hosted by veteran comic Jimmy Kimmel since 2003, is a nightly mixture of celeb interviews, satire and political commentary that pulls tens of millions of viewers within the United States.
The drastic choice got here after Kimmel’s sharp remarks in regards to the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, a 31-year-old shut ally of US President Donald Trump who based the right-wing youth group Turning Point USA. Kirk was shot lifeless final week whereas talking at Utah Valley University. His loss of life has rattled American politics, and Kimmel’s monologues about it ignited a backlash from Trump allies, regulators, and main broadcasters.
What Kimmel Said In His Monologues
The uproar stems from two nights of monologues. On Monday, lower than every week after Kirk’s killing, Kimmel accused Trump’s supporters within the MAGA (Make America Great Again) motion of attempting to disown the killer, Tyler Robinson. Robinson, 22, has been charged with aggravated homicide, firearm offences and witness tampering, and will face the loss of life penalty.
“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang attempting to characterise this child who killed Charlie Kirk as something apart from considered one of them and doing every little thing they’ll to attain political factors from it,” Kimmel stated.
The following night time, he escalated his criticism: “Many in MAGA-land are working very laborious to capitalise on the homicide of Charlie Kirk.” He focused Vice-President JD Vance, who had claimed that “a lot of the lunatics in American politics at this time are proud members of the far left.” Kimmel dismissed this as “full bullshit,” citing analysis that far-right teams have been accountable for most extremist violence within the US. The Department of Justice has since eliminated that research from its web site.
He added a pointed query: “Who needed to hold the man who was vp earlier than you? Was that the liberal left? Or the toothless military who stormed the Capitol on January 6?” This was a reference to the 2021 rebel in Washington, when Trump supporters stormed the US Congress in an try to dam the certification of Joe Biden’s election win.
Kimmel additionally mocked Trump’s private response to Kirk’s loss of life. In interviews, Trump spoke of Kirk’s killing whereas digressing into plans to construct a grand ballroom on the White House. “He’s on the fourth stage of grief, development,” Kimmel quipped. “This shouldn’t be how an grownup grieves the homicide of somebody he referred to as a pal. This is how a 4-year-old mourns a goldfish.”
In one other section, Trump’s give attention to chandeliers and renovations prompted Kimmel to joke: “Is it attainable that he’s doing it deliberately, so we might be mad about that as an alternative of the Epstein checklist?”
When Trump suggested supporters to take “revenge on the voter” within the poll field, however then questioned whether or not poll packing containers existed in California, Kimmel responded: “Oh, nicely, in that case, start the purge. For the document, we stay in California. We do have poll packing containers. We’ve bought mailboxes. We have lunch packing containers. We have all types of packing containers.”
The Shooter’s Politics And The Dispute
Prosecutors have stated Robinson expressed “hatred” towards Kirk in personal messages, however they haven’t specified which of Kirk’s views he opposed. His mom instructed investigators her son had just lately shifted in direction of left-leaning views, changing into “extra pro-gay and trans-rights oriented.” This contrasted with Kimmel’s portrayal of him as aligned with MAGA.
Conservative activists seized on this level, accusing Kimmel of smearing their motion. It turned the crux of the backlash, amplified by the Trump administration and right-wing media.
Brendan Carr, the chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the US regulator that oversees broadcast licences, accused Kimmel of a “concerted effort to misinform the American individuals” and threatened regulatory motion.
How Broadcasters Responded
Carr’s warnings have been swiftly adopted by strikes from highly effective station homeowners. Nexstar Media, one of many greatest US operators of native ABC stations, introduced it might pre-empt Jimmy Kimmel Live! “for the foreseeable future.” Andrew Alford, Nexstar’s broadcasting president, referred to as the remarks “offensive and insensitive at a important time in our nationwide political discourse.”
Sinclair Broadcast Group, which owns much more ABC associates, additionally pulled the present. It introduced it might air a tribute to Kirk throughout Kimmel’s slot and demanded that Kimmel apologise and make a private donation to Kirk’s household and Turning Point USA.
With each teams refusing to broadcast the programme, ABC had little alternative however to behave nationally. A community spokesperson confirmed late on Wednesday that the present was being “pre-empted indefinitely.” According to a report in The New York Times, the choice inside Disney was made by chief govt Robert Iger and tv chief Dana Walden. Kimmel had reportedly deliberate to handle the controversy in his Wednesday present, however the suspension was imposed earlier than taping started.
The FCC And Political Pressure
The FCC chair’s intervention was described by US media as uncommon, on condition that the regulator sometimes doesn’t touch upon particular programmes. Carr stated on a podcast that stations airing Kimmel risked “fines or licence revocation,” warning broadcasters they may “do that the simple manner or the laborious manner.”
Later, Carr praised Nexstar and Sinclair for “doing the suitable factor,” calling the preemptions “unprecedented” however needed. He instructed Fox News that broadcasters have been standing as much as native communities towards “progressive foie gras popping out from New York and Hollywood.”
Democrats condemned the transfer. Senate minority chief Chuck Schumer stated it was “despicable” and in contrast it to censorship techniques in Russia and China. “Whether you agree with Kimmel or not, he has the suitable to free speech,” he instructed CNN.
The suspension additionally suits right into a wider sample of rigidity between the Trump administration and significant media. Trump has beforehand sued ABC, settled a lawsuit for $16 million, and filed a defamation case towards The New York Times. CBS, one other main community, just lately cancelled Stephen Colbert’s Late Show, formally for monetary causes, although business observers linked it to regulatory stress throughout a merger assessment.
Trump’s Response
Trump himself hailed ABC’s choice. Posting on Truth Social from Britain, the place he was on a state go to, he wrote: “Congratulations to ABC for lastly having the braveness to do what needed to be accomplished. Kimmel has ZERO expertise, and worse scores than even Colbert, if that’s attainable.”
He additionally used the second to assault different late-night hosts, calling NBC’s Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers “complete losers” and suggesting their networks must also think about eradicating them.
Trump has lengthy had a fraught relationship with late-night comedy. During his first presidency, exhibits like Kimmel’s, Colbert’s and others made him a continuing topic of satire, one thing he noticed as unfair ridicule.
What Happens Next
Jimmy Kimmel Live! has been a part of ABC’s late-night schedule since 2003 and was nominated for 3 Emmy classes this yr. Its indefinite suspension marks one of many greatest breaks within the US late-night format in a long time.
Kimmel himself has but to problem an announcement. Whether he apologises, defends his feedback, or seeks a platform exterior ABC will decide the way forward for his two-decade profession.
Karishma Jain, Chief Sub Editor at News18.com, writes and edits opinion items on quite a lot of topics, together with Indian politics and coverage, tradition and the humanities, expertise and social change. Follow her @kar…Read More
Karishma Jain, Chief Sub Editor at News18.com, writes and edits opinion items on quite a lot of topics, together with Indian politics and coverage, tradition and the humanities, expertise and social change. Follow her @kar… Read More
September 18, 2025, 09:33 IST
Read More
