Why did ABC suspend ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ and how is it linked to Charlie Kirk’s death?

Jimmy Kimmel Live has been suspended indefinitely following his response to President Donald Trump’s remarks about Charlie Kirk’s death. On September 10, 2025, Kirk, a right-wing activist, was tragically shot at a Turning Point USA event in a University in Utah.

Jimmy Kimmel, on his eponymous ABC show on September 15, 2025, criticized some of the president’s statements following Charlie Kirk’s murder. In his opening monologue, the 57-year-old host stated that the President and his henchmen were worsening the divide between the political parties:

"The president and his henchmen are doing their best to fan the flames, so they can, I guess, attack people on the dangerous left,” Which is it?” he wondered. “Are they a bunch of sissy pickleball players because they’re too scared to get hit by tennis balls? Or are they a well-organized army of commandos? Because they can’t be both.”

He added in his opening monologue:

"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 suggested that Tyler Robinson, the main suspect in the Charlie Kirk murder, was a believer in the MAGA ideology:

"The MAGA Gang 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."

A spokesperson for the ABC network confirmed to media outlets that Jimmy Kimmel Live! Will be “pre-empted indefinitely,"

“Mr. Kimmel’s comments about the death of Mr. Kirk are offensive and insensitive,” network president says, following Jimmy Kimmel’s controversial comments

Andrew Alford, President of Nexstar, an affiliate of ABC Network, condemned Kimmel’s statements about Charlie Kirk’s death, saying:

"Mr. Kimmel’s comments about the death of Mr. Kirk are offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse."

He added that the Nexstar Media Group and its partner television stations will preempt 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' for the foreseeable future, beginning with tonight's show."

On September 17, 2025, Brendan Carr, FCC chair, described Kimmel’s comments as “truly sick” and gave the show’s network an ultimatum to “take action on Kimmel” or face sanctions from the FCC.

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