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ABC confirmed Wednesday that Jimmy Kimmel Live! has been “pre-empted indefinitely” following comments Kimmel made about the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The network’s late-night show, on air since 2003, has been a longtime ABC staple, but executives offered no timetable for its return.
“Jimmy Kimmel Live will be pre-empted indefinitely,” an ABC spokesperson told CBS News. The decision comes after backlash from affiliates and media companies, including Nexstar and Sinclair, who said Kimmel’s remarks were offensive and out of step with community values.
Affiliate pushback
Nexstar Media Group, which operates more than 200 local stations, said Kimmel’s comments crossed a line.
“Mr. Kimmel’s comments about the death of Mr. Kirk are offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse,” said Andrew Alford, Nexstar’s broadcasting president. “Continuing to give Mr. Kimmel a broadcast platform…is simply not in the public interest at the current time.”
Sinclair Broadcast Group, which runs ABC affiliates in 30 U.S. markets, also pulled the show. Instead, Sinclair said it would air a “special in remembrance of Charlie Kirk” and called on Kimmel to apologize and donate to Kirk’s family and Turning Point USA.
Kimmel’s remarks and fallout
The controversy erupted after Kimmel suggested during his Monday monologue that allies of former President Donald Trump were politicizing Kirk’s killing.
“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang trying to characterize 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.
The comment drew swift political reaction. Trump, writing on Truth Social during his state visit to the U.K., declared the “ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED” and congratulated ABC “for finally having the courage to do what had to be done.” He also lashed out at fellow late-night hosts Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, and Seth Meyers, accusing them of spreading “fake news.”
FCC scrutiny
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr criticized Kimmel’s remarks, calling them “some of the sickest conduct possible.” Carr suggested the FCC could pursue suspension remedies and praised Nexstar for acting quickly.
“Local broadcasters have an obligation to serve the public interest,” Carr said. “While this may be an unprecedented decision, it is important for broadcasters to push back on Disney programming that they determine falls short of community values.”
Broader backlash
Kimmel’s suspension comes amid heightened tension over political violence. MSNBC analyst Matthew Dowd was recently fired for suggesting Kirk’s rhetoric contributed to hateful actions. Washington Post columnist Karen Attiah said she was dismissed after addressing political violence and racial double standards. And a U.S. Secret Service agent was placed on leave for social media comments about Kirk.
Secret Service Director Sean Curran told staff in a memo that politically motivated attacks are on the rise and employees should focus on solutions rather than inflaming divisions.
“Let me be clear, politically motivated attacks in our nation are increasing — seemingly every day,” Curran wrote. “The men and women of the Secret Service must be focused on being the solution, not adding to the problem.”
For now, ABC has not indicated whether Jimmy Kimmel Live! will return.
