ABC has removed Jimmy Kimmel Live from its broadcast schedule following controversial remarks made by host Jimmy Kimmel regarding the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
“Jimmy Kimmel Live will be pre-empted indefinitely,” an ABC spokesperson confirmed to CNN on Wednesday.
The decision follows an earlier announcement from Nexstar, a major operator of ABC-affiliated stations, which stated it would no longer air the program “for the foreseeable future.” In a statement, Nexstar said it “strongly objects to recent comments made by Mr. Kimmel concerning the killing of Charlie Kirk” and plans to “replace the show with other programming in its ABC-affiliated markets.”
The controversy began during Kimmel’s Monday night monologue, when the host suggested that Kirk’s suspected killer, Tyler Robinson, was a supporter of former President Donald Trump and mocked “the MAGA gang” for disputing that characterization.
Kimmel said: “The MAGA gang (is) desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it. In between the finger-pointing, there was grieving.”
The remarks drew swift condemnation. Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr described Kimmel’s comments as “the sickest conduct possible” in an interview with conservative podcaster Benny Johnson. Carr also indicated that the FCC would be applying pressure on ABC to address the matter. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr said. “These companies can find ways to change conduct and take actions on Kimmel, or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”
The backlash comes in the context of public reporting that Robinson held a left-leaning ideology, confirmed by Utah officials on Sunday—days before Kimmel aired his monologue. Critics argue that this made the host’s claims about Robinson’s political alignment demonstrably false at the time of broadcast.
With ABC’s decision to pre-empt the show, the network faces renewed scrutiny over its handling of politically charged content and the responsibilities of hosts with national platforms.
