ABC Suspends Jimmy Kimmel Live! Indefinitely After Host’s Remarks on Charlie Kirk

ABC has officially taken Jimmy Kimmel Live! off the air — and this time, it’s not just a temporary break.

On Wednesday, September 17, the network confirmed to PEOPLE that it would pull the late-night talk show indefinitely, following widespread backlash over comments Jimmy Kimmel made about the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

The decision follows a move by Nexstar Media Group — the largest owner of local television stations in the U.S. — which earlier this week announced it would preempt the program across its more than 200 ABC affiliates in 116 markets.

“Owned and partner television stations affiliated with ABC will preempt Jimmy Kimmel Live! for the foreseeable future, beginning with tonight’s episode,” Nexstar said in a statement to PEOPLE.

The company added that it “strongly objects to recent comments made by Mr. Kimmel concerning the killing of Charlie Kirk and will replace the show with other programming” until further notice.

Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar’s broadcasting division, further explained the decision:

“Mr. Kimmel’s comments about Mr. Kirk’s death are offensive and insensitive at a critical moment in our national political discourse. They do not reflect the diversity of views and values of the local communities we serve,” Alford said.

He added that continuing to give Kimmel a national platform was “not in the public interest at this time,” and that preempting the show was a necessary step to “let cooler heads prevail as we work toward a return to respectful, constructive dialogue.”

The Remarks That Sparked the Uproar

The controversy stems from Kimmel’s September 15 monologue, just days after Charlie Kirk was fatally shot while speaking at Utah Valley University on September 10. He was 31.

During the segment, Kimmel took aim at supporters of former President Donald Trump:

“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 said.

Representatives for Kimmel have not yet issued a response to the preemption or the backlash.

Kimmel’s Ongoing Feud with Trump

The suspension comes in the middle of a long-running public feud between Jimmy Kimmel and former President Trump. Trump recently predicted that Kimmel would be the “next late-night casualty” after CBS canceled The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in July 2025.

Even before Trump’s prediction, Kimmel had been openly talking about the possibility of ending his show. In a February 2024 interview with the Los Angeles Times, he said that the three-year contract he signed in 2022 would likely be his last:

“I hate to even say it, because everyone laughs at me whenever I do — each time I think that, it turns out not to be the case,” Kimmel admitted. “But I still have more than two years left on my contract, and that seems pretty good. That seems like enough.”

Years of Tension

Since taking over Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2003, Kimmel has frequently drawn Trump’s ire with jokes in his monologues and during award shows like the Oscars.

Following The Late Show’s cancellation, Trump posted on Truth Social:

“The word is — and it’s a strong word — Jimmy Kimmel is NEXT to go in the untalented Late Night Sweepstakes and, shortly thereafter, [Jimmy] Fallon will be gone. These are people with absolutely NO TALENT, who were paid Millions of Dollars for, in all cases, destroying what used to be GREAT Television. It’s really good to see them go, and I hope I played a major part in it!”

Kimmel, for his part, hasn’t shied away from criticizing Trump publicly. While on summer vacation in July, he posted a photo of his family at an anti-Trump protest, all wearing shirts and holding signs with slogans like “Don’t bend the knee,” “Make America Good Again,” and “I wish we had a better president!”

In the Instagram caption, Kimmel wrote:

“May every day be another wonderful secret,” a reference to a line allegedly found in a letter Donald Trump wrote to Jeffrey Epstein, reported by The Wall Street Journal.

Standing by Stephen Colbert

When Stephen Colbert’s show was abruptly canceled — just days after Colbert blasted Paramount for paying $16 million to settle a lawsuit with Trump — Kimmel voiced support for his late-night colleague.

He reposted a clip of Colbert’s on-air announcement on Instagram Stories with the caption:

“Love you Stephen.”

He also slammed CBS directly, writing:

“F— you and all your Sheldons, CBS,” apparently referencing The Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon.

Kimmel’s Stand on Creative Freedom

Back in 2022, Kimmel revealed on the Naked Lunch podcast that he once considered quitting if ABC restricted him from making jokes about Trump:

“Right around the beginning of the whole Trump thing, I said: I get it — I have probably lost half my fanbase, maybe more. Ten years ago, I was the most popular talk show host among Republicans, at least according to the research. But if the network wanted me to stop, I told them: find someone else to host the show. I’m just not going to do it like that.”

With ABC now suspending Jimmy Kimmel Live! indefinitely, the future of the show — and Kimmel’s role in late-night television — remains uncertain. Whether the network will reinstate him, replace him, or allow his contract to quietly run out is unknown.

One thing is clear: this latest clash underscores the fragile balance between free expression, political sensitivities, and the business pressures that shape network television.