Late Night host Jimmy Kimmel has had his ABC show suspended following remarks made about the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. According to CNN, which received confirmation from ABC, the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” show will be off the air indefinitely.
CNN’s Chief Media Analyst Brian Stelter mentioned that the “Trump-aligned” Federal Communications Commission (FCC for short) pressured ABC heavily into taking swift action against Kimmel following the September 16 show.
During his initial monologue, Kimmel stated the following in regards to Charles Kirk’s alleged murderer:
“We hit some new lows over the weekend with 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”
Prior to this announcement, Nexstar, one of the largest TV station owners in the United States, had announced every ABC station under its umbrella would drop the program indefinitely.
At the time of writing, Jimmy Kimmel and his team have yet to issue a statement, and it’s unclear whether the entire show will be permanently off the air or if they’ll use this opportunity to pivot to other formats.
The Jimmy Kimmel Live! show has been a staple for ABC since 2003, developing a strong following that has kept it as one of the most-watched Late Night shows in the United States.