Jimmy Kimmel Live! pulled by ABC over host’s Charlie Kirk commentsSign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inboxGet our free Inside Washington emailGet our free Inside Washington emailComedian Jimmy Kimmel has seen support from former and current late night show hosts, including Stephen Colbert, whose show is being canceled next year.Kimmel’s late night show has been pulled off the air “indefinitely” after the host’s comments about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, reportedly leaving the comedian “livid” about the decision.Colbert called ABC‘s decision to pause Kimmel’s show “blatant censorship” and said he stands with his colleague “100 percent” at the taping of his CBS show Thursday night. Former late night hosts David Letterman and Jay Leno also came to Kimmel’s aid. ABC confirmed the suspension after Kimmel said earlier in the week that the “MAGA gang” was trying to “score political points” from the fatal shooting of Kirk. Protests in support of Kimmel have formed outside the Los Angeles studio where the comedian’s show is filmed and outside The Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California.President Donald Trump, who has shared his contempt for Kimmel in the past, celebrated Kimmel’s axing, calling it “Great News for America.” Trump also appeared to call for the ousting of other late-night hosts, Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers, who have also been critical of his presidency.Hours before the decision was made public, Trump-appointed chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr, said his agency could hold ABC, Disney, and Kimmel accountable for the comments, claiming the late night host appeared to be making an intentional effort to mislead the public into believing that Kirk’s assassin was a Trump supporter.Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old man suspected of killing Kirk, was charged with aggravated murder, among other counts, and faces the death penalty if convicted. Authorities say he held a “leftist ideology.”Ex-Paramount head reacts to suspension of Jimmy Kimmel showFormer Paramount chairwoman Shari Redstone has reacted to ABC’s decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel’s late show after the comedian made comments about the assassination of Charlie Kirk. “Not because of Trump or because of any other reasons, but I do think we all need to be thoughtful of the content we are putting on air given the division that exists in this country,” Redstone told Axios. Redstone was still at Paramount when the media company decided to cancel Stephen Colbert’s late-night show. Both Kimmel and Colbert had been critical of Trump. Paramount insisted its decision was purely financial. Rachel Dobkin19 September 2025 06:15Disney faces boycott calls after it suspends Jimmy Kimmel’s showDisney has faced boycott calls after its ABC network suspended Jimmy Kimmel’s late night show following comments he made about the assassination of Charlie Kirk.Rachel Dobkin19 September 2025 05:45Meet Trump’s ‘free speech warrior’ behind Kimmel suspensionAlex Woodward takes a closer look at FCC Chairman Brendan Carr: Moments after Donald Trump appointed him to regulate the nation’s broadcasters, Brendan Carr promised to “dismantle the censorship cartel and restore free speech rights for everyday Americans.”In January, Trump called him a “warrior for Free Speech.”Carr, now the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, also wrote a chapter about the agency in Project 2025, the right-wing think-tank blueprint for Trump’s second administration. The agency, he wrote in the chapter’s first words, “should promote freedom of speech.”Since entering the role, Carr has embraced Trump’s campaign against broadcasters who air critical coverage of his administration, investigated major networks for their diversity policies, and paved the way for ABC to remove comedian and Trump critic Jimmy Kimmel from his long-running late-night show in an apparent act of retaliation.Carr now appears to be taking a victory lap, posting juvenile memes in response to questions from journalists about the comedian’s suspension.Rachel Dobkin19 September 2025 05:30’Obedient’ Jon Stewart and The Daily Show poke fun at free speech in the wake of Jimmy Kimmel’s suspensionJon Stewart hosted a rare mid-week episode of The Daily Show on Thursday evening, one day after ABC suspended fellow talk show host Jimmy Kimmel’s show “indefinitely” over comments he made about the killing of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.Stewart, introduced as a “patriotically obedient host,” performed a satirical monologue about free speech, describing his program as “fun, hilarious, administration-compliant show.” He referred to Trump as “father” and “dear leader” as he jokingly praised the president and his recent state trip to the U.K.“If you felt a little off these past couple of days, it’s probably because our great father has not been home, for father has been gracing England with his legendary warmth and radiance,” Stewart joked.The episode comes amid public outcry over ABC’s decision to suspend Kimmel’s show. The decision was announced just hours after FCC Chair Brendan Carr said Kimmel’s remarks were “truly sick” and suggested ABC’s license could be at risk over it.Read more from Katie Hawkinson:Jon Stewart later posted a clip of the show on X, writing, “Dear leader approved!!!”Rachel Dobkin19 September 2025 05:21What you need to know, so far…Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, has been indefinitely suspended by ABC following comments he made regarding the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Kimmel had suggested that conservatives were attempting to “score political points” from Kirk’s death, leading to widespread backlash and the show being pulled by Sinclair Broadcasting Group and Nexstar Communications Group affiliates, who deemed the comments “offensive” and inappropriate. Former and current late night hosts backed Kimmel, with Stephen Colbert calling ABC’s move “blatant censorship.”President Donald Trump celebrated the suspension, falsely claiming it was due to poor ratings.FCC Chairman Brendan Carr had indicated ABC and Disney could be held accountable for Kimmel’s comments, alleging he misled the public about the assassin’s ideology. The suspected killer, Tyler Robinson, 22, has been charged with aggravated murder and other counts, with authorities stating he held a “leftist ideology.”The suspension has sparked a broad debate on free speech, with figures like former President Barack Obama criticizing the administration for threatening regulatory action against media companies.Kimmel is reportedly being “livid” and seeking to end his contract with ABC. Oliver O’Connell19 September 2025 05:02Jimmy Fallon calls Jimmy Kimmel ‘decent, funny and loving guy’Comedian Jimmy Fallon called his fellow late night host Jimmy Kimmel a “decent funny and loving guy” on his NBC show Thursday night. “I don’t know what’s going on,” Fallon admitted after ABC suspended Kimmel’s show “indefinitely” following comments he made about the assassination of Charlie Kirk.“He’s a decent funny and loving guy, and I hope he comes back,” Fallon said about Kimmel.Rachel Dobkin19 September 2025 04:42Watch: Trump says network TV is ‘not allowed’ to constantly take hits at himRachel Dobkin19 September 2025 04:30Stephen Colbert brands Trump an ‘autocrat’ as he defends suspended Jimmy KimmelStephen Colbert has branded President Donald Trump an “autocrat” as he criticized ABC’s decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel’s talk show.Colbert called ABC’s move “blatant censorship” and said he stands with Kimmel “100 percent” at the taping of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Thursday night, CNBC reports. This comes after the Disney-owned network took Jimmy Kimmel Live! off the air “indefinitely” over the host’s remarks about the killing of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.“With an autocrat, you cannot give an inch,” Colbert said Thursday, according to CNBC.ABC pulled Kimmel’s show on Wednesday over comments he made during his opening monologue two days prior. Nexstar Media Group, the largest owner of television stations across the country, also said that it would replace Kimmel’s show with “other programming in its ABC-affiliated markets.”“We had 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 with everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said. “In between the finger-pointing, there was grieving.”Read more from Katie Hawkinson:Rachel Dobkin19 September 2025 04:09Jimmy Kimmel’s time slot replaced with ‘Celebrity Family Feud’ The time slot for Jimmy Kimmel’s late night show has been replaced with an episode of the game show “Celebrity Family Feud” Thursday night. The schedule switch-up comes after ABC suspended the comedian’s show “indefinitely.” It’s unclear what will fill Kimmel’s time slot regularly. Rachel Dobkin19 September 2025 04:00GOP senator defends Jimmy Kimmel suspension but says ‘FCC should not be involved’Senator Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, has defended broadcasters’ decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel’s late night show but said the Federal Communications Commission “should not be involved.”FCC Chairman Brendan Carr had put pressure on broadcasters to “take action on Kimmel” after he made comments about the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Rachel Dobkin19 September 2025 03:45
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Jimmy Kimmel backed by cancelled Stephen Colbert after suspension over Charlie Kirk comments: Live updates
