ABC Suspends Jimmy Kimmel After Controversial Comments
NEW YORK – ABC has put Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show on hold after some of his jokes about Charlie Kirk’s death caused a stir. Several ABC-affiliated stations decided they wouldn’t air the show anymore because of what Kimmel said.
Kimmel, a long-time comedian on late-night TV, made comments on Monday and Tuesday nights about how people were reacting to Kirk’s death. He claimed that some people were using Kirk’s murder to their advantage.
ABC, which has been home to Kimmel’s show since 2003, took quick action after the Nexstar Communications Group said it would stop showing the program starting Wednesday. According to Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar’s broadcasting division, Kimmel’s remarks about Kirk’s death were “offensive and insensitive” during a tense time in our country. Nexstar owns 23 ABC stations.
President Donald Trump shared his thoughts on Truth Social, praising ABC for “finally having the courage to do what had to be done.” He also suggested that Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers should be taken off the air, calling them “losers.”
Kimmel’s contract with ABC is set to end in May 2026.
In his Monday monologue, Kimmel stated that some people were trying to paint the person accused of killing Charlie Kirk as someone different than “one of them” and were trying to get political points from the situation.
Kimmel criticized Trump’s response to Kirk’s death, comparing it to “a 4-year-old mourns a goldfish.” He also criticized FBI chief Kash Patel’s handling of the investigation.
On Tuesday, he made fun of Vice President JD Vance for filling in as a guest host on Kirk’s podcast.
He accused Trump of “fanning the flames” by attacking those on the left.
Authorities report that Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old charged with Kirk’s murder, was raised in a conservative home but had become involved in “leftist ideology.” His parents told investigators that he had shifted to the left politically and began supporting LGBTQ rights in the past year. Records indicate he was registered to vote but not affiliated with any political party. He reportedly told his transgender partner that he targeted Kirk because he “had enough of his hatred.”
Like Stephen Colbert on CBS, Kimmel has often criticized President Trump and his policies on his show. CBS had announced plans to end Colbert’s show at the end of the season for financial reasons.
