Late-night TV legend David Letterman has weighed in on ABC's decision to temporarily pull Jimmy Kimmel Live from airing.
The network's controversial decision has received significant backlash from fans and the industry, as it has opened the floodgates for free speech concerns under the Trump administration. According to reports, ABC made the call after Kimmel's remarks about the killing of Charlie Kirk earlier this week drew ire from conservative groups and Nextar's announcement that their affiliate stations will be dropping the late-night show.
What is David Letterman's Reaction to the Jimmy Kimmel Live Suspension?
In an interview on The Atlantic Festival (via Deadline), Letterman weighed in on the temporary suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live over the backlash on Kimmel's remarks regarding Kirk's killing.
He called out ABC for their decision on the late-night talk show and described it as a "misery."
"It’s ridiculous. You can’t go around firing somebody because you’re fearful or trying to suck up to an authoritarian criminal administration in the Oval Office, that’s just not how this works," the former late-night host said.
Letterman also revealed that he has been exchanging text messages with Kimmel since the controversy started. He said, "He’s sitting up in bed taking nourishment, he’s going to be fine."
The veteran late-night host also reflected on how he has been making jokes about several presidents throughout his career.
"The point is beating up on these people, rightly or wrongly, accurately or perhaps inaccurately in the name of comedy, not once were we squeezed by anyone from any governmental agency, let alone the dreaded FCC," he explained.
Letterman also called out FCC chairman Brendan Carr by joking, "This guy [at] the FCC said, ‘We can do things the easy way. We can do things the hard way.’ Who is hiring these goons? Mario Puzo?"
Why ABC Decided to Pull Jimmy Kimmel Live from the Air
ABC decided to indefinitely pull Jimmy Kimmel Live from airing new episodes after Nextar Media announced that they intend to preempt the airings of the show after the host's controversial remarks about Kirk. Carr also threatened to take action against the network.
According to a report from Deadline, Kimmel was informed by Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Dana Walden about the decision hours before the scheduled taping of the episode.
Their conversation was described as "thoughtful," and "both sides were very businesslike and polite." Walden and Disney CEO Bob Iger made the decision as their attempt to tamp down the controversy.
The report also indicated that Kimmel "made it clear he was unwilling to apologize for his remarks." He was planning to clarify his comments and focus on calling out the supporters. However, Disney felt that if he had doubled down, they would have been forced to make a "drastic decision" on the show.
It should be noted that the show has not been officially canceled permanently, and there is still an intention to bring back the show on air "soon." However, it is unknown if Kimmel would be willing to return.
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