ABC pulled "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" from its broadcast schedule on Wednesday following the comedian's contentious remarks connecting Charlie Kirk's alleged assassin to Donald Trump's political movement, CNBC reported.
Trump praised the network's decision, which came after FCC Chair Brendan Carr suggested ABC's broadcasting credentials might be reviewed due to Kimmel's statements.
Before ABC's formal declaration, Nexstar Media Group announced its affiliated stations would substitute alternative programming "for the foreseeable future beginning with tonight's show," replacing Kimmel's content. Network representatives confirmed Wednesday that "'Jimmy Kimmel Live' will be pre-empted indefinitely," with industry sources telling CNBC the late-night personality has not faced termination.
Monday's opening monologue featured Kimmel suggesting Tyler Robinson, charged with fatally shooting Kirk September 10 at Utah Valley University, aligned with Trump's Make America Great Again ideology.
"The MAGA Gang desperately 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 declared. "In between the finger-pointing, there was grieving," he added, criticizing the president's reaction to the murder: "This is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he called a friend, this is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish."
BREAKING: ABC broadcast affiliate Nexstar is removing Jimmy Kimmel indefinitely after he joked about the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
The announcement says the following:
"Nexstar Media Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: NXST), today announced that the company's owned and partner… pic.twitter.com/zxNrcA5wzG
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) September 17, 2025
Carr, Trump's FCC chair nominee, labeled Kimmel's statements "truly sick" during a Benny Johnson interview, claiming a "strong case" justified regulatory intervention against ABC and Disney.
"This is a very, very serious issue right now for Disney. We can do this the easy way or the hard way," Carr warned Johnson. "These companies can find ways to take action on Kimmel, or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.
"They have a license granted by us at the FCC, and that comes with it an obligation to operate in the public interest," Carr emphasized. The FCC initiated investigations into Disney and ABC's diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in March.
Kimmel joins other media personalities facing repercussions for Kirk assassination commentary. MSNBC dismissed political analyst Matthew Dowd last week over his broadcast remarks about the killing, citing that "hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions."
Washington Post columnist Karen Attiah said the newspaper terminated her employment after she identified "racial double standards" in social media reactions to Kirk's death. Trump recommended Wednesday that NBC cancel its late-night programming, including "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon" and "Late Night with Seth Myers."
"Great News for America: The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED. Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
"Kimmel has ZERO talent, and worse ratings than even [Stephen] Colbert, if that's possible. That leaves Jimmy and Seth, two total losers, on Fake News NBC. Their ratings are also horrible. Do it NBC!!!" Trump continued.
Biden-nominated FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez responded to Carr's Johnson comments by tweeting, "An inexcusable act of political violence by one disturbed individual must never be exploited as justification for broader censorship and control."
Following ABC's program removal, Gomez posted, "Free expression is non-negotiable. It marks the line between freedom and oppression. We must defend it without compromise."
Entertainment industry unions criticized ABC and FCC actions. The Writers Guild of America West and East released a statement saying, "The right to speak our minds and to disagree with each other – to disturb, even – is at the very heart of what it means to be a free people.
"It is not to be denied. Not by violence, not by the abuse of governmental power, nor by acts of corporate cowardice," the guilds declared.
Nexstar stated it "strongly objects to recent comments made by Mr. Kimmel concerning the killing of Charlie Kirk and will replace the show with other programming in its ABC-affiliated markets." FCC Chair Carr posted on X, "I want to thank Nexstar for doing the right thing. Local broadcasters have an obligation to serve the public interest.
"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. I hope that other broadcasters follow Nexstar's lead," Carr wrote.
