ABC said it has suspended talk show host Jimmy Kimmel indefinitely over remarks about conservative influencer Charlie Kirk’s assassination, coming after the head of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) warned he would act against ABC.
In his monologue on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on Sept. 15, Kimmel said that the “MAGA gang” was “desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them” and accused them of trying to “score political points from it.”
Prosecutors, Utah’s governor, and the director of the FBI have said that the assassination suspect, Tyler Robinson, had become more leftist, and Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said on Sept. 16 that Robinson also had pro-transgender views. Gray also said that Robinson allegedly told his parents that Kirk “spreads too much hate” before he was captured last week.
Kimmel also sent condolences to the Kirk family last week while denouncing “senseless gun violence.”
What Happened?
Nexstar Media, one of the biggest owners of local television stations in the United States, said it would not broadcast Kimmel’s show for the foreseeable future and also said his remarks about Kirk were “offensive and insensitive at a critical time in [the] national political discourse.”
Sinclair Broadcast Group said it would not air the show either. The company called on Kimmel to apologize to Kirk’s family and make a “meaningful personal donation” to the slain activist’s political organization, Turning Point USA. Sinclair said that its 38 ABC stations will air a tribute to Kirk on Sept. 19 in Kimmel’s time slot.
President Donald Trump celebrated ABC’s move on Truth Social, saying, “Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done.”
A spokesperson for ABC told numerous media outlets on Sept. 17 that Kimmel’s show was pulled from its nightly lineup.
Hollywood, Democrats React
A number of Hollywood figures spoke out against Kimmel’s suspension. Actor Ben Stiller wrote on social media, “This isn’t right.”
Comedian Michael Kosta, a host on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” wrote on his Instagram story on the night of Sept. 17: “This is a serious moment in American history. TV networks MUST push back. This is complete BS.”
“Hacks” star Jean Smart said in a post on Instagram that she was “horrified at the cancellation,” saying that “what Jimmy said was free speech, not hate speech.”
Actor Henry Winkler praised Kimmel and said he was the “most wonderful fellow” in a post on X.
“His humor, his insights are important to keep showing us who we are,” Winkler said.
Rosie O’Donnell, a longtime foe of Trump’s, described the decision to pull Kimmel off the air as “unacceptable” in an Instagram post and said that America “is no more.”
Aside from celebrities, several prominent Democrats in Congress also decried the decision, as some called for FCC Chairman Brendan Carr to resign.
House Democrats said in a statement on Sept. 18 that Carr “has disgraced the office he holds by bullying ABC, the employer of Jimmy Kimmel, and forcing the company to bend the knee to the Trump administration.”
Former President Barack Obama said in a statement, “After years of complaining about cancel culture, the current administration has taken it to a new and dangerous level by routinely threatening regulatory action against media companies unless they muzzle or fire reporters and commentators it doesn’t like.”
FCC Chairman: Kimmel Trying to Mislead
The FCC chairman said that Kimmel was attempting to mislead the public by claiming that Robinson was a Trump supporter or a conservative.
“The issue that arose here, where lots and lots of people were upset, was not a joke,” Carr told CNBC on the morning of Sept. 18.
“It was appearing to directly mislead the American public about a significant fact.”
He called Kirk’s assassination “probably one of the most significant political events … in a long time, certainly the most significant political assassination … in a long time.”
A day before that, Carr said that under the FCC’s jurisdiction, ABC, CBS, and NBC have special requirements to “operate within the public interest.”
“Broadcasters are different than any other form of communication,” Carr said.
He said that affiliate groups such as Sinclair and Nexstar took action against Kimmel’s show because they were “standing up to serve the interests of their community.”
“Over the years, the FCC walked away from enforcing that public interest obligation,” Carr told Fox News. “I don’t think we’re better off as a country for it.”
In a post on X, Carr also wrote, “Broadcasters have long retained the right to not air national programs that they believe are inconsistent with the public interest, including their local communities’ values.”
What Carr Said Before Kimmel’s Suspension
In a podcast interview, Carr warned that his agency is poised to take action over Kimmel’s comments, which he described as false, citing the “public interest” requirement.
“This is a very, very serious issue right now for Disney. We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” he told podcaster Benny Johnson. “These companies can find ways to take action on Kimmel, or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”
He said that Disney, the owner of ABC, has to make changes and that “individual licensed stations that are taking their content” need to step forward and take action.
“This sort of status quo is obviously not acceptable where we are,” the FCC chief said.
Trump Signals More Actions Could Be Taken
On Sept. 18, Trump said that he thinks networks’ broadcast licenses could be revoked if they air overwhelmingly negative viewpoints targeting his administration.
“I read someplace that the networks were 97 percent against me. I get 97 percent negative, and yet I won it easily,” he told reporters on Air Force One, in reference to the 2024 election.
“I won all seven swing states, popular vote, I won everything. And they’re 97 percent against, they give me wholly bad publicity. … I mean, they’re getting a license, I would think maybe their license should be taken away.”
Last month, Trump called on the FCC to revoke the licenses of both ABC and NBC, describing the two networks as “an arm of the Democrat Party.”
ABC and Disney have not responded to an Epoch Times request for comment. Kimmel, who started hosting the late-night show in 2003, has not commented on the suspension.
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