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The American television network ABC News has indefinitely suspended the popular late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel over his comments about the murder of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.
"Jimmy Kimmel Live will not air indefinitely," a statement from a spokesperson for the network, which is owned by Disney, said.
During his latest show, Kimmel criticized the political reactions that followed Kirk's murder, saying that the "MAGA gang" (a reference to supporters of former President Trump) is trying to politically benefit from the event.
"They are trying at all costs to portray the person who killed Charlie Kirk as someone who is not part of them, and they are profiting politically from this tragedy," Kimmel said.
He also mocked the fact that flags were lowered to half-staff in Kirk's honor and criticized former President Donald Trump's reaction, saying: This is not the way a grown man mourns his friend. This is the way a four-year-old cries for his goldfish.
After news of the suspension was released, Donald Trump reacted on social media, hailing the decision as “great news for America.” He called Kimmel’s show a “failure in ratings” and thanked ABC for “having the courage to do what needed to be done.”
Kimmel did not comment publicly after the suspension, but was seen leaving the studio in Los Angeles without making any statements to the media.
Meanwhile, fans who were expecting to attend the show's taping expressed disappointment at the sudden cancellation. "This is getting ridiculous. He expressed an opinion and he's being punished for it. It's bizarre," Janna Blackwell, a tourist from Virginia, told the BBC.
Before being suspended, Kimmel had reacted on Instagram, condemning the killing and expressing condolences to Charlie Kirk's family.
The suspected killer, a 22-year-old man, has been arrested and is facing charges of “aggravated murder.” Following ABC’s decision, Nexstar Media, one of the largest owners of television stations in the United States, announced that it would not air “Jimmy Kimmel Live” indefinitely. Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar’s broadcast division, said Kimmel’s comments were “offensive and insensitive at a sensitive political moment for the country.”
The decision was joined by Sinclair, ABC’s largest affiliate network, which announced that it would air a special memorial program for Charlie Kirk instead of Kimmel’s show on Friday. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee, called Kimmel’s statement “sick behavior” and thanked Nexstar for “taking the right action.” He said that television stations have public licenses and should act in the public interest.
However, Democratic FCC member Anna Gomez criticized Carr, writing on social media that "an unjustifiable act of political violence by a disorderly individual should not be used for broader censorship or media control."
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) also reacted against Kimmel's suspension, considering it a violation of the right to free speech, while Sag-Aftra, another entertainment industry union, described the decision as "a form of oppression and punishment that endangers the freedoms of all."
According to CNBC sources, Kimmel has not been officially fired, but network executives plan to discuss with him how he will return to the airwaves. His suspension comes at a time when late-night formats in the US are struggling, as audiences shift to online streaming platforms. In July, CBS announced the end of “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” after 11 seasons, although it officially said that this was not related to the show’s performance or content.
Colbert, on the other hand, accused the network and its parent company of a lack of transparency and criticized a $16 million deal that CBS had made with Trump, following a lawsuit over a controversial interview.
Meanwhile, ABC had previously agreed to pay $15 million to settle a defamation lawsuit filed by Trump, after journalist George Stephanopoulos falsely stated in an interview that Trump had been found "guilty of rape," while a civil court had found him guilty of "sexual abuse," a term with a specific definition in New York state law.
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