ABC Pulls Jimmy Kimmel’s Show After Charlie Kirk Remarks Spark Backlash

Disney’s ABC has suspended “Jimmy Kimmel Live” indefinitely following uproar over remarks the comedian made regarding the suspected killer of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

The announcement came Wednesday after Nexstar, one of the nation’s largest operators of ABC-affiliated stations, said it would not broadcast the show “for the foreseeable future.” Nexstar objected to Kimmel’s Monday monologue in which he suggested Kirk’s accused shooter, Tyler Robinson, may have been a pro-Trump Republican.

“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,” Kimmel said during his broadcast.

The reaction was swift. Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr condemned Kimmel’s comments as “the sickest conduct possible” during an interview with conservative podcaster Benny Johnson. Carr hinted that the FCC could consider revoking licenses of ABC affiliates if corrective action wasn’t taken, saying, “We can do this the easy way or the hard way.”

Carr also criticized Kimmel personally, calling him “talentless” and claiming his comments reflected “desperate irrelevance.” Disney and ABC have not commented on the controversy.

This marks the latest clash between the FCC and network programming. In July, Carr also targeted ABC’s “The View” after co-host Joy Behar criticized President Trump. Kimmel himself has long been a frequent target of Trump, who recently suggested his cancellation was inevitable following CBS’s decision to drop Stephen Colbert’s late-night show.

Adding to the pressure, the Center for American Rights filed a formal complaint with the FCC, arguing that Kimmel’s comments violated public-interest broadcasting standards. The group insisted satire and comedy are not an excuse for material it deemed offensive.

The indefinite suspension raises questions about the future of “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and highlights the increasingly fraught relationship between politics, late-night comedy, and network television.

Credit: CNN Newsource

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