ABC Pulls ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ Off Air 'Indefinitely' Over Charlie Kirk Shooting Remarks
ABC has suspended “Jimmy Kimmel Live” indefinitely after backlash over Kimmel’s remarks on the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, sparking debate over media bias and free speech.
Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show has been pulled from ABC’s lineup “indefinitely” following a storm of criticism over his comments about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
The network confirmed the suspension on Tuesday, describing the move as a preemption—an industry term for taking a program off the schedule. The decision halts one of America’s most prominent late-night shows at a time when President Donald Trump has been escalating legal and political battles with media outlets he accuses of harboring bias against him.
“Jimmy Kimmel Live will be preempted indefinitely,” an ABC spokesperson told AFP, using the broadcasting term for replacing or removing a show from its lineup.
A Shooting That Shook Conservatives
Kirk, a prominent Trump ally and founder of Turning Point USA, was shot dead last week while speaking at a Utah university. Authorities said 22-year-old Tyler Robinson fired a single round from a rooftop, striking Kirk in the neck. Robinson was arrested at the scene and later charged with murder.
On Monday, Kimmel addressed the tragedy during his monologue, drawing sharp criticism for how he framed the political reaction to the attack.
“We had some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang 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.
These are the comments from Monday night that led ABC to pull Jimmy Kimmel Live this afernoon. pic.twitter.com/TzOU3GZ195
— LateNighter (@latenightercom) September 17, 2025
“MAGA” is shorthand for Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement.
Growing Fallout and Station Pushback
The White House announced this week it plans to investigate what it calls a left-wing “domestic terror movement” in response to Kirk’s killing, sparking concerns that the effort could chill political dissent.
ABC’s suspension of Kimmel’s program came soon after Nexstar, one of the nation’s largest operators of ABC affiliate stations, said it would no longer air the show “for the foreseeable future.”
Andrew Alford, Nexstar’s president of broadcasting, released a statement criticizing the comedian’s remarks.
“Mr. Kimmel’s comments about the death of Mr. Kirk are offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse,” Alford said. “We do not believe they reflect the values of the communities we serve. Continuing to give Mr. Kimmel a platform is not in the public interest right now.”
Kimmel has yet to publicly address the controversy, and representatives for the host did not respond to requests for comment.
Trump's Remarks Over The Cancellation
The president celebrated ABC’s move in a social media post, mocking Kimmel’s ratings and urging NBC to cancel its remaining late-night hosts, Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers.
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Trump’s statement underscored how Kimmel’s suspension has become entangled with the broader political fight over media bias.
Media Under Pressure as Trump Turns Up the Heat
The network’s decision comes amid heightened tensions between the Trump administration and the press. Since returning to the White House, Trump has frequently targeted journalists critical of his leadership, limiting access and pursuing costly defamation cases.
Just this week, the president filed a $15 billion lawsuit against The New York Times, accusing the paper of waging a “decades-long” smear campaign against him marked by “actual malice.”
Although the US Constitution offers strong protections for journalists, Trump has secured major settlements from other networks, including ABC and CBS, in previous defamation disputes. Those payouts, reportedly earmarked for his future presidential library, were seen as efforts by corporate parents to avoid further conflict with the administration.
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