Jimmy Kimmel pulled off air indefinitely after his remarks about the shooting of Charlie Kirk, ABC confirmed on Wednesday. The announcement came just hours after Brendan Carr, chair of the Federal Communications Commission, threatened action against ABC and its parent company Disney over Kimmel’s comments.
During his Monday monologue, Kimmel described the “Maga gang” as trying to portray the shooter of Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them. He also accused them of trying to “score political points” from the tragedy. Carr condemned the comments, saying Kimmel appeared to mislead the American public. Kimmel has not responded publicly since the suspension.
Kimmel has hosted Jimmy Kimmel Live! since 2003 and has presented the Oscars four times. On Monday night, he mocked the national mourning for Kirk, comparing President Trump’s response to the shooting to how “a four-year-old mourns a goldfish.”
Carr reacted angrily, calling Kimmel’s conduct “sickest possible” and demanded an apology. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” he said on the Benny Show, a conservative podcast, adding that broadcasters must take action or face FCC intervention.
Nexstar Media, a major US television station owner, announced it would not air Kimmel’s show for the foreseeable future. The company called his comments about Kirk “offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse.” Carr praised Nexstar and encouraged other broadcasters to follow suit. Nexstar is seeking FCC approval for its $6.2 billion merger with Tegna.
Sinclair, the largest ABC affiliate group in the US, said it would replace Kimmel’s time slot with a special program in memory of Charlie Kirk. Kirk, a high-profile conservative activist, was shot while speaking at Utah Valley University on September 10. Tyler Robinson, 22, has been charged with aggravated murder, with prosecutors pursuing the death penalty.
On the day of the shooting, Kimmel posted on Instagram condemning the attack and expressing support for Kirk’s family. President Trump, visiting the UK at the time, said Kimmel was “fired because he had bad ratings” and called him “not a talented person.”
Some Hollywood figures condemned Kimmel’s suspension. Actor Ben Stiller stated, “This isn’t right,” while Jean Smart wrote on Instagram that she was “horrified at the cancellation” and emphasized that Kimmel’s words were free speech, not hate speech.
Others suggested the suspension was not an example of cancel culture. Dave Portnoy, founder of Barstool Sports, said, “When a person says something offensive and is punished, that is not cancel culture. That is consequences for your actions.”
House Democratic leaders accused Carr of abusing power and called for his resignation, stating he had “disgraced the office” by pressuring ABC. Fans of Kimmel expressed disappointment outside the studio, calling the situation “ridiculous and stupid.”
FCC commissioner Anna Gomez criticized the agency’s response, warning that the actions of one individual should not justify broader censorship. The Writers Guild of America said the suspension violated constitutional free speech rights.
A source told CNBC that Kimmel has not been fired and that ABC intends to meet with him to discuss how he should return to the air. Kimmel’s suspension adds another chapter to the ongoing tensions between the Trump administration and media companies, which have included legal disputes and financial settlements with major networks.
