Jimmy Kimmel pulled from air over Charlie Kirk comments

Disney-owned network ABC has pulled late show host Jimmy Kimmel off the air indefinitely over comments he made about Charlie Kirk's death.

Kimmel, who was among the first celebrities to condemn the attack, mentioned the late conservative commentator and podcast host during the opening monologue of his September 15 show.

"The MAGA gang desperately trying to characterise 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.

Kimmel also added a clip in which a reporter offered Trump condolences at the loss of Kirk and asked how Trump is holding up, to which Trump simply said, "I think very good" before launching into an unprompted ramble about the construction of a new ballroom in the White House.

"This is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he calls a friend," said Kimmel, adding, "This is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish."

Watch the clip from Jimmy Kimmel Live! below:

The day after the episode aired, Trump-nominated FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said on a podcast that the comment was "some of the sickest conduct possible" and threatened regulatory action against ABC and Disney.

Shortly after, Nexstar Media Group announced Jimmy Kimmel Live! would be pulled from all of its all of its ABC-affiliated stations, followed by an announcement from ABC that the all broadcasts of the show would be "indefinitely" halted.

Trump celebrated the move on social media, calling it "great news for America."

"The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED," said Trump said, adding, "Kimmel has ZERO talent, and worse ratings than even [Stephen] Colbert."

CBS's The Late Show With Stephen Colbert was recently cancelled in what many have alleged to be political given Colbert's criticism of Trump. It was the most watched late-night show in 2025, averaging 1.9 million nightly viewers according to Nielsen data. Jimmy Kimmel Live! averaged 1.57 million nightly viewers in same time.

CMAT made her U.S. TV debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live! earlier this month. The Swell Season, co-founded by Irish musician Glen Hansard, were set to perform on the show tonight.

Trump also called for the cancellation of NBC's The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers, which garner 1.1 million and 921,000 nightly viewers respectively. Fallon and Meyers are also frequent critics of the Trump administration.

This morning, the Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) released a statement condemning the suspension.

"Our society depends on freedom of expression," SAG-AFTRA said.

"Democracy thrives when diverse points of view are expressed. The decision to suspend airing Jimmy Kimmel Live! is the type of suppression and retaliation that endangers everyone’s freedoms."

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) also issued a statement on ABC's decision, stating the broadcast writers' labour union "stands with Jimmy Kimmel and his writers."

"If free speech applied only to ideas we like, we needn't have bothered to write it into the Constitution. What we have signed on to – painful as it may be at times – is the freeing agreement to disagree. Shame on those in government who forget this founding truth. As for our employers, our words have made you rich. Silencing us impoverishes the whole world."

Many celebrities have also spoken out against the suspension, suggesting it was an attack on free speech.

Actor Ben Stiller reposted the news on X, writing, "This isn't right."

Actress Jamie Lee Curtis posted an April 2025 quote from Kimmel on her Instagram story: "I don't believe anybody should be cancelled, I really don't."

TV anchor Chris Hayes wrote on X, "This is the most straightforward attack on free speech from state actors I've ever seen in my life and it's not even close."

California Governor and Trump rival Gavin Newsom wrote multiple posts about the news, including an X post reading, "There is no such thing as free speech under Donald Trump’s reign."

On the other hand, Trump supporters such as Texas Senator Ted Cruz claimed Kimmel's comments were false.

"Maybe lying about a deranged left-wing murderer wasn’t a good career move?" said Cruz in a post on X.

A suspect in the shooting of Kirk during an event at Utah Valley University has been identified as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, who regularly attended a Mormon church and is registered as non-partisan with parents registered as Republicans.

While Trump blamed the "radical left" for the shooting and many of his allies claimed Robinson may have been a part of or funded by left-wing groups, there is no evidence connecting Robinson to any left-wing movement.