ABC suspends Jimmy Kimmel show; what the TV host said about Charlie Kirk’s killing

Walt Disney-owned ABC on Wednesday pulled the ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ show off the air after the television host’s controversial remarks on the killing of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk triggered an uproar.

The decision came after Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr urged local broadcasters to stop airing the show on ABC. 

President Donald Trump, who has been critical of the content of the popular show, hailed the decision and called on other networks which telecast Jimmy’s shows to sack him.

"Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done," Trump said. “Kimmel has ZERO talent, and worse ratings than even Colbert, if that’s possible,” he further said in a Truth Social post.

Jimmy, a veteran late-night comic, made the contentious remarks on his Monday night show. "We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it," he said.

Pointing to a video of Trump’s mourning of Kirk, Jimmy said, “This is how a 4-year-old mourns a goldfish”.

ABC has been airing Jimmy’s late-night show since 2003. The broadcaster’s decision came shortly after Nexstar Communications Group said it would pull the show starting Wednesday.

Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar's broadcasting division, had said Jimmy's comments about the death of Kirk were offensive and insensitive “at a critical time in our national political discourse”.

Kirk, a close ally of Trump, was fatally shot while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University last week. Police have arrested a 22-year-old man, Tyler Robinson, who allegedly fired a rifle from a rooftop, hitting Kirk in the neck.