{"id":164921,"date":"2025-09-18T07:07:07","date_gmt":"2025-09-18T07:07:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/164921\/"},"modified":"2025-09-18T07:07:07","modified_gmt":"2025-09-18T07:07:07","slug":"what-did-jimmy-kimmel-say-about-charlie-kirk-before-abc-pulled-his-show-politics-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/164921\/","title":{"rendered":"What did Jimmy Kimmel say about Charlie Kirk before ABC pulled his show? | Politics News"},"content":{"rendered":"

Disney-owned ABC has pulled<\/a> Jimmy Kimmel Live off the air indefinitely after the host caused controversy with remarks about Charlie Kirk\u2019s alleged killer.<\/p>\n

\u201cJimmy Kimmel Live will be preempted indefinitely,\u201d an ABC spokesperson said, declining to share any further details.<\/p>\n

Prosecutors have charged 22-year-old Tyler Robinson with Kirk\u2019s murder. Robinson is accused of having shot and killed Kirk while the conservative activist was speaking at Utah Valley University on September 10. Robinson surrendered after a two-day manhunt.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what Kimmel said that led to outrage among conservatives, and what the ABC and others have said since:<\/p>\n

What happened?<\/p>\n

In his opening monologue on Monday, Kimmel, a vocal critic of US President Donald Trump, accused \u201cthe MAGA gang\u201d of trying to \u201cscore political points\u201d from Kirk\u2019s murder, saying they were quick to blame the left before much was known about the shooter\u2019s motives. MAGA, or \u201cMake America Great Again\u201d, is the right-wing political movement that forms Trump\u2019s base.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe MAGA gang (is) desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,\u201d Kimmel said on his show. \u201cIn between the finger-pointing, there was grieving,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

He continued to criticise Trump\u2019s reaction to the shooting.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he calls a friend. This is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish,\u201d Kimmel added.<\/p>\n

The remarks angered conservatives and triggered pushback from the Trump administration.<\/p>\n

Brian Kilmeade can keep his job after saying we should kill the homeless, but Jimmy Kimmel gets suspended for this? pic.twitter.com\/now6OJqQ8r<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Mike Nellis (@MikeNellis) September 18, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat he said on Monday was he suggested the suspected shooter of Charlie Kirk was a pro-Trump Republican,\u201d Al Jazeera\u2019s Heidi Zhou-Castro noted, adding that Kimmel spoke before authorities released text messages showing the suspected killer was actually politically opposed to Kirk.<\/p>\n

The next day, Robinson appeared in court<\/a>, charged with aggravated murder. A precise motive remains unclear, but in court documents, prosecutors have cited his relatives telling them that he had veered to the left politically in recent years, and thought Kirk was full of hate.<\/p>\n

In text messages to his flatmate and romantic partner after Kirk\u2019s assassination, Robinson said: \u201cI had enough of his hatred.\u201d Then, in a separate message, he added: \u201cSome hate can\u2019t be negotiated out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yet Kimmel returned to the topic on Tuesday night, where he accused Trump of \u201cfanning the flames\u201d by attacking people on the left. The Trump administration has said it will crack down on left-wing groups, whom it accuses of ratcheting up hate against conservatives. On Wednesday, Trump also said that he planned to designate the Antifa left-wing political movement a \u201cterrorist\u201d organisation.<\/p>\n

Brendan Carr, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), told right-wing podcaster<\/a> Benny Johnson on Wednesday that he had a strong case for taking action against Kimmel, ABC and Disney. The FCC is responsible for granting licences to broadcasters such as the ABC and its affiliates.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a very, very serious issue right now for Disney,\u201d Carr said. \u201cThey have a licence granted by us at the FCC, and that comes with it an obligation to operate in the public interest.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to a Bloomberg report, quoting sources, Kimmel had planned to address the backlash on his show on Wednesday and rehearsed it that morning.<\/p>\n

Carr also urged media companies that own local television stations to \u201cpush back\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"ignsSigns read Jimmy Kimmel Live at the El Capitan Entertainment Centre, where the show is recorded for broadcast, on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles [Daniel Cole\/Reuters]What was the fallout?<\/p>\n

Nexstar, which owns several ABC affiliates, appeared to follow that call, announcing it would drop Jimmy Kimmel Live from its affiliates even before ABC itself confirmed the suspension.<\/p>\n

The company said on Wednesday it would not air the show \u201cfor the foreseeable future, beginning with tonight\u2019s show\u201d.<\/p>\n

Kimmel\u2019s remarks about Kirk were \u201coffensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse,\u201d Nexstar added.<\/p>\n

Carr expressed approval for Nexstar\u2019s decision, thanking them \u201cfor doing the right thing\u201d.<\/p>\n

Nexstar, which describes itself as the country\u2019s largest local television and media company, needs FCC approval for its $6.2bn deal to acquire smaller rival Tegna.<\/p>\n

I want to thank Nexstar for doing the right thing. <\/p>\n

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\u2026 https:\/\/t.co\/Px5boYbqNR<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Brendan Carr (@BrendanCarrFCC) September 17, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

What was Trump\u2019s reaction?<\/p>\n

Trump described it as \u201cgreat news for America\u201d shortly after ABC revealed Kimmel had been suspended.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED. Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n

He then criticised two other late-night hosts, Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers, who he described as \u201ctwo total losers, on Fake News NBC. Their ratings are also horrible.\u201d<\/p>\n

JD Vance, the US vice president, earlier this week urged Americans to turn in fellow citizens who mocked the assassination.<\/p>\n

In July, after CBS cancelled The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,\u00a0Trump said: \u201cI absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings. I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. Has even less talent than Colbert!\u201d<\/p>\n

CBS said the \u2018Late Show\u2019 was dropped for financial reasons but its timing, three days after Colbert blasted a settlement between Trump and CBS parent company Paramount, led two senators to question whether politics were at play.<\/p>\n

“Great News for America: The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED. Congratulations to @ABC<\/a> for finally having the courage to do what had to be done\u2026” \u2013 President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com\/Vhj6DQSssu<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 The White House (@WhiteHouse) September 18, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Who is Jimmy Kimmel?<\/p>\n

Jimmy Kimmel is among the most recognisable figures in US late-night television. He has hosted Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC since 2003, making him one of the longest-serving talk-show hosts still on air.<\/p>\n

Before breaking into television, Kimmel built his career in radio, working as a host in Seattle, Tampa, and Tucson before eventually moving to Los Angeles, where he transitioned into TV.<\/p>\n

Over the years, Kimmel has become known for his monologues, celebrity interviews and viral comedy segments. He has also taken on a more political edge in recent years, frequently criticising Trump and weighing in on social debates.<\/p>\n

Kimmel has also hosted Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, which won him an Emmy, and big live events like the Oscars.<\/p>\n

In recent years, according to reports, Kimmel has scaled back his workload, often taking summers off from the show. His current contract with ABC is set to expire in less than a year, raising questions about whether he will extend his run or step away after two decades on air.<\/p>\n

When his contract extension was announced, he joked, \u201cAfter two decades at ABC, I am now looking forward to three years of what they call \u2018quiet quitting.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\"JimmyJimmy Kimmel poses in the press room with the award for host of a game show for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire [File: Richard Shotwell\/Invision\/AP]How popular was his show?<\/p>\n

Late-night viewership, like much of traditional television, has been declining as audiences migrate to streaming platforms and social media.<\/p>\n

According to Nielsen, a United States media audience measurement firm, Jimmy Kimmel Live drew an average of 1.57 million viewers per episode during the broadcast season that ended in May.<\/p>\n

During the same period, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert led the field, averaging 1.9 million viewers.<\/p>\n

The US Television Database showed<\/a> Jimmy Kimmel Live attracting about 1.1 million viewers per episode \u2013 a 0.35 percent rating, down 11 percent from the previous month \u2013 based on audience measurements for the period ending August 31, 2025.<\/p>\n

\"JimmyUS President Joe Biden speaks with host Jimmy Kimmel during the taping of Jimmy Kimmel Live, as Biden visits the city for the ninth Summit of the Americas, in Los Angeles [File: Kevin Lamarque\/Reuters]