TV host Jimmy Kimmel Suspended Indefinitely After Being Pulled Off Air for Comments About Charlie Kirk’s Shooting
TV host Jimmy Kimmel has been suspended indefinitely after being pulled off the air due to comments he made about the shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.1 The comments led to his suspension after many people, including U.S. President Donald Trump, reacted to the matter.2
When Kimmel made the comments on his late-night show about the death of Kirk, who died from a gunshot, it caused reactions from commentators and broadcasters, with some saying it was right for Kimmel to face the consequences of what he said.3 Kirk, who was an influential ally of the U.S. President, died after being shot at a campus event in Utah on Wednesday, September 10, 2025.4 The shooting of Kirk caused serious public discussion in the U.S., with many concerned about who the shooter was and why the person carried out such an act.5
What Did Jimmy Kimmel Say?
Trump had ordered that flags be flown at half-mast in the U.S. to honor the conservative activist.6 Soon after, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released photos of a “person of interest” in the shooting of Charlie Kirk, and they were later identified as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson.7
However, during his night show, Kimmel spoke about the flags being flown at half-mast in honor of Kirk, where he mocked U.S. President Trump’s reaction to the shooting. In his monologue for the show, Kimmel suggested in his speech that Kirk’s shooter was a supporter of Trump and that the government was playing politics with the shooting.
This is where the suspension matter began when the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) threatened to take action against ABC, the TV network that airs Kimmel’s show.8 It wasn’t long before ABC announced they were suspending comedian Kimmel after his comment on Kirk’s death.9 Kimmel is among the top chat show personalities in the U.S., as he has hosted his show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” since 2003.10
“This is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he calls a friend. This is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish,” this is part of what Kimmel said on his show. The comment that caused a nationwide uproar was his monologue where he said that the killing of Kirk was being used to “score political points.”11 Kimmel said: “The MAGA Gang is desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and are doing everything they can to score political points from it.” “MAGA” is a reference slogan to Trump supporters who rally around his Make America Great Again election.12
This is not the first time that Kimmel had addressed the shooting of Kirk; he had earlier sent ‘love’ to Kirk’s family, but this comment that he made on his show got the attention of many people. When the FCC threatened to take action against ABC and their parent company Disney over Kimmel’s comment, they added that the host was trying “to directly mislead the American public.”13 FCC chairman, Brendan Carr, said Kimmel should have offered an apology for his comment.14 Hours later, Nexstar Media, one of the biggest owners of TV stations in the U.S., said they would not air Kimmel’s show after labeling his comment as “offensive and insensitive at a critical time.”15
Trump, Others React to Kimmel’s Suspension
Kimmel’s suspension comes after the threat from the FCC, the government agency that regulates television and radio communications.16 Trump said Kimmel was fired because “he gets bad ratings.”17 The U.S. President also posted on his Truth Social, where he praised ABC for the suspension they gave the TV host.18
Leading Democrats have criticized the suspension decisions as an assault on free speech.19 Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries issued a statement alongside other senior leaders in the party, where they said the FCC chairman Carr had “engaged in a corrupt abuse of power.” “He has disgraced the office he holds by bullying ABC, the employer of Jimmy Kimmel, and forcing the company to bend the knee to Trump.”20
Meanwhile, journalist and presenter Piers Morgan said Jimmy Kimmel had lied about Charlie Kirk’s assassin being a MAGA supporter. Morgan said the statement caused a serious uproar in America, and that has led to his suspension.21
Also, the largest ABC affiliate in the U.S. is asking for Kimmel to apologize and make a donation to the Charlie Kirk family and political organization before his show can go back on air.22 Sinclair Broadcast Group, which owns many local ABC channels, was one of the two groups that said they would pull “Jimmy Kimmel Live” from their channels before ABC went ahead and suspended the show.23
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) have stood with Kimmel after his show was suspended.24 “The right to speak our minds and to disagree with each other is at the very heart of what it means to be free people,” the Writers Guild said in their statement. Also, more TV hosts have stood behind Jimmy Kimmel.
Who is Jimmy Kimmel?
Jimmy Kimmel is an American television host, comedian, writer, and producer.25 He was born on November 13, 1967, in Brooklyn, New York.26 He is known as the executive producer of the late-night talk show, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, which has been airing on ABC since 2003.27 “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” features celebrity interviews, comedy sketches, and musical performances, and it has made him one of the most recognizable faces in American late-night television.28 Kimmel has also hosted major award ceremonies, including the Primetime Emmy Awards and multiple editions of the Academy Awards (Oscars).29
