Jimmy Kimmel Show Suspended Over Charlie Kirk Comments
September 17, 2025
ABC suspended “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” indefinitely after host Jimmy Kimmel made controversial comments about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, marking a significant moment of government regulatory pressure influencing traditional media content decisions.
The Comments
On Monday, September 16, 2025, during his opening monologue, Kimmel addressed the recent assassination of Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, who was shot and killed at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025. Kimmel’s remarks included:
- Characterizing Kirk’s killer as “one of them” (referring to MAGA supporters)
- Criticizing attempts by Trump supporters to distance themselves from the assassination
- Making jokes about Trump’s response to Kirk’s death, comparing it to “the way a 4-year-old mourns a goldfish”
Immediate Response
Station Owner Backlash: Within hours of the broadcast, major station ownership groups announced they would preempt the show:
- Nexstar Media Group: Announced its affiliate stations would stop airing “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” starting Wednesday evening
- Sinclair Broadcast Group: Followed suit, stating Kimmel made “problematic comments regarding the murder of Charlie Kirk”
FCC Pressure: FCC Chair Brendan Carr, nominated by President Trump, escalated the situation by publicly criticizing Kimmel’s comments as “truly sick” in an interview with right-wing commentator Benny Johnson. Carr suggested there was a “strong case” for FCC action against ABC and Disney, stating: “We can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to take action on Kimmel, or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”
ABC’s Decision
On September 17, 2025, ABC announced the indefinite suspension of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” The network’s decision came:
- Less than 24 hours after the controversial broadcast
- Following coordinated pressure from major station ownership groups
- In the context of explicit regulatory threats from the FCC
The network provided no timeline for the show’s potential return, and Kimmel’s contract was set to expire in May 2026.
Political Reactions
Trump Administration: President Trump praised ABC’s decision, calling it “Great News for America” and thanking ABC for “having the courage to do what had to be done.” Trump also suggested that NBC should follow ABC’s example and cancel “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and “Late Night with Seth Meyers.”
Industry Response: Hollywood unions and entertainment industry figures criticized the suspension as an attack on free speech, with writers’ and actors’ unions issuing statements condemning what they characterized as government pressure on editorial content.
Broader Context
The suspension occurred within a complex media and political environment:
Charlie Kirk’s Assassination: Kirk, 31, was killed by Tyler Robinson during a campus event at Utah Valley University. Robinson was charged with assassination, and the killing had already become a focal point of political debate.
Government-Media Relations: The incident represented escalation in tensions between the Trump administration and traditional media outlets, with regulatory agencies explicitly threatening content-based enforcement actions.
Station Consolidation: The coordinated response by Nexstar and Sinclair demonstrated how media consolidation enables rapid, industry-wide content decisions.
Significance for Media Landscape
The Kimmel suspension marked several important developments:
Regulatory Pressure: First major instance of FCC explicitly threatening traditional broadcast television content based on political commentary about current events.
Station Owner Power: Demonstrated how consolidated media ownership could effectively override network programming decisions through coordinated pressure.
Free Speech Debates: Sparked broader discussions about government pressure on media content and the boundaries of acceptable political commentary.
Traditional Media Vulnerability: Showed how traditional broadcast media remains subject to regulatory pressure that streaming and digital platforms can more easily avoid.
Long-term Impact
The indefinite suspension of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” established new precedents for:
- Government regulatory pressure on traditional media content decisions
- Station ownership groups coordinating content-based programming changes
- The intersection of political violence, media commentary, and regulatory enforcement
- Free speech boundaries in traditional broadcasting versus digital platforms
The incident highlighted how traditional media companies, unlike digital platforms, remain directly subject to government broadcast licensing and regulatory oversight, creating different vulnerability profiles for political commentary across media types.