ABC, a Walt Disney-owned network, has pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live! from its late-night lineup indefinitely, following widespread backlash over host Jimmy Kimmel’s comments on the recent killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The decision was confirmed by an ABC spokesperson who stated, “Jimmy Kimmel Live will be pre-empted indefinitely,” but did not offer further details.
The move comes after Nexstar Media Group, one of the largest owners of ABC-affiliated television stations in the United States, announced it would not air the show “for the foreseeable future.”
Kimmel sparked controversy during a recent monologue in which he harshly criticized conservative reactions to Kirk’s death. “We hit 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 doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said.
The late-night host went on to mock former President Donald Trump’s reaction to Kirk’s death, referencing a video of Trump’s statement on the White House lawn. “This is how a 4-year-old mourns a goldfish,” Kimmel quipped, adding, “In between the finger-pointing, there was grieving.”
Charlie Kirk, the founder of conservative student group Turning Point USA and a close ally of Trump, was shot dead last week during a university event in Utah. The suspect, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, opened fire during the event and has been charged with aggravated murder. Prosecutors have announced they are seeking the death penalty.
“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…” – President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/Vhj6DQSssu
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) September 18, 2025
The fallout from Kimmel’s monologue has drawn national attention, including a response from Trump himself. Posting on Truth Social, Trump celebrated ABC’s decision: “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 also took the opportunity to attack other late-night hosts, calling Kimmel talentless and claiming his ratings were worse than Stephen Colbert’s. He labeled NBC hosts Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers as “losers with poor ratings,” and urged NBC to cancel their shows as well.
Nexstar’s decision to drop the show was accompanied by a statement from Andrew Alford, President of the broadcasting division: “Kimmel’s remarks about Kirk’s killing were offensive and insensitive. Continuing to give Kimmel a broadcast platform in the communities we serve is simply not in the public interest at the current time, and we have made the difficult decision to preempt his show in an effort to let cooler heads prevail as we move toward the resumption of respectful, constructive dialogue.”
During the same monologue, Kimmel also targeted Vice President JD Vance, who had appeared on Kirk’s podcast and blamed the political left for the murder. “He means complete bull***,”* Kimmel said.
Kimmel concluded by citing past Justice Department data on far-right violence and questioned Vance’s credibility: “Here’s a question JD Vance might be able to answer: who wanted to hang the guy who was vice president before you? Was that the liberal left? Or the toothless army who stormed the Capitol on January 6,” he asked.
After the announcement, many celebrities reacted to the news.
Comedian Wanda Sykes shared a video on Instagram, revealing that she was scheduled to appear on Kimmel Wednesday night. “Let’s see. He didn’t end the Ukraine war or solve Gaza within his first week. But he did end freedom of speech within his first year. Hey, for those of you who pray, now’s the time to do it. Love you, Jimmy,” Sykes said.
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Comedian Mike Birbiglia also weighed in on Instagram: “I’ve spent a lot of time in public + private defending comedians I don’t agree with. If you’re a comedian + don’t call out the insanity of pulling Kimmel off the air — don’t bother spouting off about free speech anymore.”
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Fellow comedian Roseanne Barr posted on X: “I’m available to fill in @ABCNetwork.” Meanwhile, Journalist Megyn Kelly reacted to the move on X, writing: “Just think for a minute about the amount of IRATE mail/viewer feedback they must have gotten to do this.”
MSNBC host Chris Hayes added, “This is the most straightforward attack on free speech from state actors I’ve ever seen in my life and it’s not even close.”
As of now, it remains unclear when — or if — Jimmy Kimmel Live! will return to the air.