(LifeSiteNews) — ABC has “indefinitely” suspended Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show after he suggested during his Monday night monologue that Charlie Kirk was assassinated by a member of the MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement – the very cause to which Kirk had devoted himself for a decade.
Kimmel presumably made his unfounded remarks in order to deflect attention away from the already published anti-MAGA, anti-Christian, anti-conservative political motivations of Kirk’s killer.
“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,” claimed Kimmel during his monologue.
As noted by podcast host Benny Johnson, taken to their logical conclusion, Kimmel’s remarks blame Charlie Kirk for his shocking murder.
“Jimmy Kimmel went on air and told the ABC audience that Charlie Kirk’s assassin was a MAGA conservative, effectively blaming Charlie Kirk for his own assassination,” wrote Johnson on X.
“Then he accus[ed] the right of covering it up to ‘score political points,’” said Johnson. “All of these statements are false and malicious lies told at the expense of one of the most horrific acts of left-wing political violence in American history.”
“Totally indefensible ABC had no choice but to fire Kimmel for this,” he added.
Dear dishonest corporate media hobgoblins:
Jimmy Kimmel did not make a “joke.”
Jimmy Kimmel went on air and told the ABC audience that Charlie Kirk’s assassin was a MAGA conservative, effectively blaming Charlie Kirk for his own assassination.
Then he accusing the right of… pic.twitter.com/or7uP5i3AR
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) September 18, 2025
“Great News for America: The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED,” exclaimed President Trump on his Truth Social account.
“Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done,” said Trump. “Kimmel has ZERO talent, and worse ratings than even Colbert, if that’s possible.”
“That leaves Jimmy and Seth, two total losers, on Fake News NBC. Their ratings are also horrible. Do it NBC!!!” urged the President.
“ABC got pounded by Americans [who are] so sick of this nonsense. So they have suspended Jimmy Kimmel’s show indefinitely,” noted LifeSiteNews’ John-Henry Westen. “Let’s hope he doesn’t come back.”
“Charlie Kirk is doing, even in death, great things for America,” added Westen.
ABC Axes Jimmy Kimmel Over Comments on Charlie Kirk pic.twitter.com/f0aE4w1M2E
— John-Henry Westen (@JhWesten) September 18, 2025
Massive backlash
The backlash against Kimmel for his remarks came not only from conservative and America First commentators and politicos but from within the broadcast industry itself.
The two largest ABC-affiliate groups – Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair Broadcast Group, representing scores of TV stations across the country – threatened to pre-empt future episodes of Kimmel’s show.
“Nexstar’s owned and partner television stations affiliated with the ABC Television Network will preempt Jimmy Kimmel Live! for the foreseeable future beginning with tonight’s show,” said Nexstar in a statement. “Nexstar strongly objects to recent comments made by Mr. Kimmel concerning the killing of Charlie Kirk and will replace the show with other programming in its ABC-affiliated markets.”
The president of Nexstar’s broadcasting division, Andrew Alford, said that Kimmel’s “comments about the death of Mr. Kirk are offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse.”
“We do not believe they reflect the spectrum of opinions, views, or values of the local communities in which we are located,” said Alford. “Continuing to give Mr. Kimmel a broadcast platform in the communities we serve is simply not in the public interest at the current time, and we have made the difficult decision to preempt his show in an effort to let cooler heads prevail as we move toward the resumption of respectful, constructive dialogue.”
Meanwhile, Sinclair Broadcast Group told ABC that it would “not lift the suspension of ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ on our stations until formal discussions are held with ABC regarding the network’s commitment to professionalism and accountability.”
Sinclair also urged Kimmel to issue an apology to the Kirk family and called on ABC to make “meaningful” donations to the family and to the organization that Kirk founded, Turning Point USA, according to a report by Deadline.
FCC considers taking action against ABC and parent company Disney
The broadcast industry’s government watchdog, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), also took note of Kimmel’s Monday night comments.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, in an interview with Benny Johnson, said that Kimmel’s monologue represented “some of the sickest conduct possible.”
Carr also indicated that the FCC might take action against Kimmel, ABC, and the network’s parent company, Disney.
“This is a very, very serious issue right now for Disney. We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” said Carr. “These companies can find ways to take action on Kimmel or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”
“They have a license granted by us at the FCC, and that comes with it an obligation to operate in the public interest,” said the FCC chairman, noting that “There are calls for Kimmel to be fired. I think you could certainly see a path forward for suspension over this.”
“The FCC could make a strong argument that this is sort of an intentional effort to mislead the American people about a very core fundamental fact, a very important matter.”
BREAKING: The FCC Chairman is threatening immediate action against Jimmy Kimmel, ABC, and Disney for deliberately misleading the public by claiming Charlie Kirk’s assassin was a MAGA Conservative.
Chairman Brendan Carr calls Kimmel’s malicious lies are “truly sick” and says they… pic.twitter.com/mGhtGMPReI
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) September 17, 2025