Jimmy Kimmel’s Late-Night Show Suspended For Charlie Kirk Remarks After Threat From Trump’s FCC Chair
Written by b87fm on 09/18/2025
Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show is off the air — indefinitely. ABC pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live! after the host’s controversial comments about Charlie Kirk’s killing, and the fallout just got bigger. Not only are ABC affiliates refusing to run the show, but now the FCC chair (appointed by President Donald Trump) is criticizing Kimmel’s monologue — raising alarm bells about censorship and free speech in America.
Kimmel, in a Sept. 11 episode, took issue with Trump’s remarks that Democrats should be blamed for the fatal shooting. “With all these terrible things happening, you would think that our president would at least make an attempt to bring us together but he didn’t,” Kimmel said. He also pointed out how former presidents issued statements calling for unity after tragedy.
A few days later, Kimmel doubled down, suggesting Tyler Robinson — the man accused of killing Kirk — might be tied politically to MAGA, calling out what he described as efforts by Trump’s supporters to distance themselves from the shooter. Kimmel also mocked Trump about building a new White House ballroom instead of properly responding to Kirk’s death.
The reaction has been swift. Nexstar, one of the country’s largest owners of ABC stations, announced it would not air Kimmel Live! in its markets. Nexstar’s Andrew Alford said Kimmel’s remarks were “offensive and insensitive” and didn’t match the values of many communities. ABC followed by suspending the show.
BREAKING: Jimmy Kimmel’s show is reportedly set to stop airing on ABC after he made a mistake about the Charlie Kirk killer.
Meanwhile Fox News continues to employ people who called for the murder of homeless people.
This is so utterly pathetic. pic.twitter.com/9fQSRyhmHl
— Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) September 17, 2025
Kimmel hurts MAGA’S feelings by holding a mirror up & so the first amendment is out the window and his show is pulled… who is going to tell them that, that is the definition of being a snowflake… as well as supporting anti-democratic ideals? (Not patriotic at all)
Now is…
— Jasmine Crockett (@JasmineForUS) September 17, 2025
Then came the FCC warning. The chair, appointed under Trump, criticized Kimmel’s monologue as possibly crossing a line — fueling fears among media watchers that this isn’t just about one comedian’s hot take. It’s now part of a bigger debate: Does criticizing political figures on TV risk being regulated or silenced under vague standards?
Free speech advocates warn this moment could set a chilling precedent. If late-night hosts can be pulled off the air or censured for making political statements, they argue, then the boundary between satire/commentary and “disallowed speech” may shrink drastically.
This episode has raised serious questions: Has political pressure begun to affect how free speech works in entertainment? Will networks and comedians self-censor if they fear stations, or regulators, might yank their platform?
Whatever the outcome, one thing’s clear: this isn’t just about Jimmy Kimmel. It’s about whether Americans can still speak, joke, or criticize out loud without risking being silenced.
