Jimmy Kimmel, one of America’s most recognisable late-night hosts, has found himself at the centre of a political firestorm. ABC announced late Wednesday that Jimmy Kimmel Live! would be suspended “indefinitely” following the comedian’s controversial remarks about the killing of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.The move came just hours after Brendan Carr, a Trump-appointed chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), warned broadcasters they risked fines or license revocation if they continued to air Kimmel’s program. Soon after, two of the nation’s largest TV station owners, Nexstar Media and Sinclair Broadcast Group, declared they would no longer carry the show. Sinclair even announced it would air a tribute to Kirk in Kimmel’s timeslot on Friday.
US President Donald Trump hailed ABC’s decision as “great news for America,” mocking Kimmel and his late-night peers Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers as “total losers.” The suspension also follows the cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s show just two months ago, further shrinking the landscape of liberal-leaning late-night television.
Who is Jimmy Kimmel ?
James Christian Kimmel, 57, is one of the longest-serving figures in late-night television. Since 2003, he has helmed Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC, blending political satire with celebrity interviews and comedy skits. Over his career, Kimmel has hosted the Academy Awards four times, the Primetime Emmys three times, and was named one of Time magazine’s “100 Most Influential People” in 2018.Before rising to late-night prominence, Kimmel co-hosted Comedy Central’s The Man Show and Win Ben Stein’s Money, the latter earning him an Emmy Award. He also created and produced cult comedy hits like Crank Yankers and The Andy Milonakis Show.
The comments that sparked backlash
The controversy stems from Kimmel’s monologues earlier this week. Addressing the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk in Utah, he accused “Maga-land” of exploiting the tragedy for political gain, while slamming Vice President JD Vance for blaming the left without evidence.“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?” Kimmel said Tuesday, drawing applause from his audience.Critics, however, called the remarks inflammatory. Nexstar’s broadcasting president, Andrew Alford, said continuing to air Kimmel was “not in the public interest” at such a politically sensitive moment.
What comes next
ABC has not said whether Kimmel will return or what programming will replace his show in the meantime. For a comedian whose career has spanned more than two decades and made him a fixture in American pop culture, the suspension marks one of the most serious threats yet to his place on network television.
