ABC Benches Kimmel After Controversial Charlie Kirk Remarks – Here’s What Kimmel Said

ABC has decided to take Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show off the air, and it may be gone for a long time. The move came after Nexstar Media, one of the biggest TV station owners in the country, said it would no longer air the program.

Nexstar was upset about comments Kimmel made about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Nexstar explained its decision in a statement on Wednesday, saying it “strongly objects to recent comments made by Mr. Kimmel concerning the killing of Charlie Kirk and will replace the show with other programming in its ABC-affiliated markets.”

Kirk, a well-known conservative figure, was shot and killed on September 10 during a debate at Utah Valley University. A suspect was arrested three days later.

In his Monday night monologue, Kimmel criticized how conservatives reacted to the tragedy. He said, “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang trying to characterize this kid who killed Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them.”

Kimmel also poked fun at Donald Trump’s response when asked about Kirk’s death, after Trump shifted to talking about a new White House ballroom.

Jimmy Kimmel’s full comments on Charlie Kirk which led to his show being taken off air indefinitely. pic.twitter.com/Ctg7LL8HWL

— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) September 18, 2025

Disney’s decision to pull the show is drawing strong reactions. Supporters of Kirk have demanded that critics be silenced, while free-speech advocates see this as dangerous.

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr praised Nexstar’s move and hinted that it was the right call, saying in a social media post, “Local broadcasters have an obligation to serve the public interest. While this may be an unprecedented decision, it is important for broadcasters to push back on Disney programming that they determine falls short of community.”

The timing of Nexstar’s actions has raised questions. The company is currently trying to buy Tegna Inc., another large station group, in a $6.2 billion deal that needs FCC approval. A Nexstar spokesperson refused to say if the pending deal influenced its decision about Kimmel.

This comes just a few weeks after Stephen Colbert’s “The Late Show” was canceled. Back then, Trump stated on his social media that he hoped Kimmel would get canceled next.

He wrote, “I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings. I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. Has even less talent than Colbert! Greg Gutfeld is better than all of them combined, including the Moron on NBC who ruined the once great Tonight Show.”

Whether Jimmy Kimmel will come back remains unclear. For now, ABC has benched one of its biggest names, showing how political fights and pressure from regulators can directly hit what viewers see on TV.

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