NEW YORK (BN24) — ABC has suspended Jimmy Kimmel’s long-running late-night show indefinitely after remarks he made about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk prompted a backlash from ABC-affiliated stations.
The network’s decision came swiftly after Nexstar Communications Group, which operates 23 ABC affiliates nationwide, announced it would no longer air Jimmy Kimmel Live! beginning Wednesday. Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar’s broadcasting division, said Kimmel’s comments about Kirk’s killing were “offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse.”
Kimmel, who has hosted the late-night program since 2003, drew controversy during his monologues on Monday and Tuesday nights. On Monday, he criticized political reactions to Kirk’s killing, saying “many in MAGA land are working very hard to capitalize on the murder of Charlie Kirk.” He added that Trump’s public response was less like that of “an adult grieving a friend” and more like “a 4-year-old mourning a goldfish.”
The host also accused FBI Director Kash Patel of handling the investigation “like a kid who didn’t read the book, BS’ing his way through an oral report.”
On Tuesday, Kimmel returned to the subject, mocking Vice President JD Vance’s guest-host appearance on Kirk’s podcast and accusing Trump of “fanning the flames” by lashing out at political opponents. “Which is it,” Kimmel asked, “are they a bunch of sissy pickleball players because they’re too scared to be hit by tennis balls, or a well-organized deadly team of commandos, because they can’t be both of those things?”
The remarks sparked a wave of criticism and fueled debates over political rhetoric on late-night television. The White House weighed in Wednesday, when Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “Welcome to Consequence Culture. Normal, common sense Americans are no longer taking the b———- and companies like ABC are finally willing to do the right and reasonable thing.”
Kimmel has not publicly commented on the suspension.
The decision by ABC underscores how polarizing political commentary has become for late-night comedy. Kimmel, like CBS host Stephen Colbert, has frequently criticized President Donald Trump and his policies. Colbert’s show is set to end later this year, officially for financial reasons, though some industry critics have questioned whether his outspoken stance on Trump also played a role.
ABC has not said when or if Jimmy Kimmel Live! will return to the air.
