Jimmy Kimmel seems to be the second late-night presenter in the U.S. whose show has been affected by the Trump Administration’s sway over media outlets.
ABC stated on Wednesday that Jimmy Kimmel Live! “will be pre-empted indefinitely” following an announcement from TV station operator Nexstar Media Group, owner of multiple ABC affiliates nationwide, that it would remove Kimmel’s program from its schedule “for the foreseeable future.”
In a statement, Nexstar expressed its “strong objections” to remarks Kimmel recently uttered following the assassination of Mr. Kirk. Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar’s broadcasting division, said in the statement, “Mr. Kimmel’s comments regarding Mr. Kirk’s death are offensive and insensitive during a crucial period in our national political discussion, and we do not believe they represent the range of opinions, viewpoints, or values of the local communities we serve. Allowing Mr. Kimmel to continue broadcasting in these communities is simply not in the public interest right now, and we have decided, with difficulty, to preempt his show to allow for a calming of tensions as we work towards re-establishing respectful, constructive dialogue.”
During his monologue on Monday evening, Kimmel asserted that the “MAGA gang” was attempting to “gain political advantage” from Kirk’s assassination.
Kimmel additionally mocked President Donald Trump’s reply to a journalist’s inquiry about Kirk’s passing, where the President chose to emphasize the current building of a new ballroom at the White House. Kimmel commented, “This isn’t how a grown-up grieves the killing of someone he considered a friend. This is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish.”
The White House, using its rapid response account on X, remarked on ABC’s choice: “They are doing their audience a service. Jimmy is a sick weirdo!”
Earlier on Wednesday, Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr spoke out against Kimmel, ABC, and ABC’s parent company Disney, describing Kimmel’s behavior as “really, really disturbing.”
Following Nexstar’s announcement of its action against Kimmel, a company currently involved in a merger, Carr posted on X, expressing gratitude to Nexstar for “doing what is right” and stating his hope that other broadcasters would “emulate Nexstar’s example.”
Sinclair Broadcast Group, another significant owner and operator of numerous ABC affiliates, declared in a statement that Kimmel’s “suspension is insufficient” and that it will not reinstate Jimmy Kimmel Live! on its stations “until we are assured that suitable measures have been implemented to maintain the standards anticipated from a national broadcast platform.”
“Mr. Kimmel’s comments were improper and profoundly insensitive during a crucial period for our nation,” stated Sinclair vice chairman Jason Smith. “We hold that broadcasters bear a duty to inform and foster respectful, productive dialogue within our communities. We value FCC Chairman Carr’s comments today, and this event underscores the urgent necessity for the FCC to initiate prompt regulatory measures to tackle the influence exercised by major national networks over local broadcasters.”
Sinclair urged ABC to engage in formal talks concerning its dedication to professionalism and accountability, and furthermore, called upon Kimmel to apologize to the Kirk family and to “make a substantial personal contribution to the Kirk Family and Turning Point USA.”
Many figures on the right, including Trump, have condemned leftist rhetoric and advocated for the termination of those deemed to have celebrated his death or made offensive remarks about it, a stance that has, however, faced criticism from civil liberties defenders.
“The government exerted pressure on ABC — and ABC yielded. The timing of ABC’s decision, coming shortly after the FCC chairman’s promise to the network to ‘do this the easy way or the hard way,’ reveals the full narrative. Another media entity capitulated under governmental influence, guaranteeing that the administration will persist in extorting and retaliating against broadcasters and publishers who critique it,” stated the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a nonpartisan nonprofit frequently criticizing both the left and right on free-speech matters, on X. “We cannot exist as a nation where late-night talk show hosts operate at the president’s discretion. Yet, until institutions develop resolve and learn to withstand government pressure, that is precisely the nation we will be.”
Kimmel’s removal from broadcast occurs less than nine weeks after the announcement that another late-night show would conclude following its current season—a move largely perceived as politically driven.
Trump, who has often criticized Kimmel’s program along with other late-night shows and their presenters previously, seemed to welcome ABC’s choice. The President posted on Truth Social Wednesday night: “Excellent News for America: The ratings-struggling Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED. Congratulations to ABC for finally having the bravery to do what was necessary. Kimmel possesses ZERO talent, and even lower ratings than Colbert, if that is even conceivable.” (Although linear ratings are just one measure of a program’s achievement, Jimmy Kimmel Live! held the second-highest overall viewership among its late-night counterparts, surpassed only by The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, while it secured the top ratings in the highly desired 18-49 demographic.)
“That leaves Jimmy and Seth, two complete failures, on Fake News NBC,” Trump further remarked, seemingly advocating for the cancellation of NBC’s other late-night shows hosted by Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers. “Their viewership figures are equally terrible. Do it, NBC!!!”
