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Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night television show has been pulled off the air “indefinitely” by Disney-owned ABC after comments he made on Monday about the man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
The comedian, a well-known figure who has hosted the Oscars awards ceremony, suggested the alleged killer was a supporter of President Donald Trump’s Maga movement.
Kimmel’s broadcast provoked criticism, including from Brendan Carr, chair of the Federal Communications Commission, the US regulator.
ABC on Wednesday said Jimmy Kimmel Live “will be pre-empted indefinitely”.
Trump welcomed the show’s suspension. “Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done. Kimmel has ZERO talent, and worse ratings than even Colbert, if that’s possible,” the president posted on his Truth Social platform.
Disney’s decision marks an escalation in Trump’s campaign against liberal-leaning media figures, with the FCC increasingly deployed as a political tool.
“That leaves Jimmy and Seth, two total losers, on Fake News NBC. Their ratings are also horrible. Do it NBC!!!”, Trump added.
The controversy stemmed from Monday’s broadcast, when Kimmel said: “We had some new lows over the weekend with the Maga gang desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and with everything they can to score political points from it.”
The move to pull Jimmy Kimmel Live! comes two months after CBS cancelled The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Colbert had criticised the network’s owner, Paramount, for its decision to settle a defamation suit brought by Trump, as it sought FCC approval for a deal with Skydance.
Trump then shortly after praised Colbert’s cancellation, posting: “Next up will be an even less talented Jimmy Kimmel.”
Shortly thereafter, the FCC approved CBS’s sale to Skydance.
Carr, who Trump appointed to the FCC, has made clear the media regulator is prepared to exert pressure on broadcasters.
Carr, earlier on Wednesday, called Kimmel’s on-air comments “the sickest conduct possible” and warned his agency could move to revoke ABC affiliate licences unless Disney acts. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” he said.
ABC’s announcement came shortly after Nexstar, a large network of local TV stations, dropped Kimmel’s show. Nexstar said it “strongly objects to recent comments made by Mr Kimmel concerning the killing of Charlie Kirk”.
Kirk, a conservative activist and Maga influencer, was shot in Utah last week — prompting national condemnation.
State officials on Tuesday said the mother of the man charged in the case, Tyler Robinson, had said Robinson had “become more political and had started to lean more to the left”.