ABC has pulled “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” off the air indefinitely following controversial comments the host made about the shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The suspension comes after significant pressure from government officials and major broadcasting companies.
During his September 15 show, Kimmel said: “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.” This comment directly contradicted earlier statements from Utah’s governor, who had described the suspected shooter as being “indoctrinated with leftist ideology.”
The suspension followed a clear sequence of events: Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr threatened consequences against ABC, major station groups Nexstar and Sinclair announced they would stop airing the show, and finally ABC pulled Kimmel off air.
This decision has sparked intense reactions across the political spectrum. Former President Donald Trump celebrated the move on social media, writing: “Great News for America: The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED.” Trump later told reporters Kimmel “should have been fired a long time ago” and encouraged NBC to take similar action against Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers, calling them “two total losers.”
In stark contrast, former President Barack Obama criticized the suspension, calling it “precisely the kind of government coercion that the First Amendment was designed to prevent.” Obama urged media companies to “start standing up rather than capitulating” to such pressure.
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Leading Democrats have been particularly vocal in their criticism. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer described the suspension as part of an “ever-escalating campaign to use the mighty power of the federal government to attack civil society.” House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other senior Democrats released a joint statement calling for Carr’s resignation, accusing him of “corrupt abuse of power” and “bullying ABC.”
The controversy has raised serious concerns about free speech and government influence over media. FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez broke ranks with Chair Carr, stating that Kimmel’s “inopportune joke” was being used as a “pretext” to punish speech the administration dislikes. “This FCC does not have the authority, the ability, or the constitutional right to police content or punish broadcasters for speech the government dislikes,” Gomez said.
Entertainment industry unions have also voiced support for Kimmel. The Writers Guild of America said: “The right to speak our minds and to disagree with each other – to disturb, even – is at the very heart of what it means to be a free people.” SAG-AFTRA added that the suspension “endangers everyone’s freedoms.”
The situation has significant business implications as well. Nexstar, which owns several ABC affiliate stations, is currently seeking FCC approval for a $6.2 billion merger with Tegna. Sinclair Broadcast Group, another major owner of ABC affiliates, not only pulled Kimmel’s show but said it would air a special remembrance program for Kirk during Kimmel’s usual time slot. Sinclair is demanding that Kimmel apologize and donate to Kirk’s Turning Point USA organization before they will consider airing his show again.
The shooting at the center of this controversy occurred on September 10 when Tyler Robinson, 22, allegedly shot Kirk during a speaking event at a Utah university. Robinson has been charged with aggravated murder and other crimes. Utah Governor Spencer Cox stated that Robinson was “deeply indoctrinated with leftist ideology,” a description that directly contradicted Kimmel’s characterization.
As protests form outside Disney’s Burbank headquarters and late-night peers express solidarity with Kimmel, the situation highlights growing tensions between media freedom and government oversight in an increasingly polarized political landscape.
