The ‘indefinite” suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s talk show has drawn ire from celebrities and politicians as Donald Trump declared it “great news.”
Kimmel’s controversial implications about the identity of Tyler Robinson, the suspected gunman behind conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s killing, landed him in hot water with ABC, who pulled the show hours before Wednesday’s broadcast.
During Monday’s show, Kimmel said: “We had some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and with everything they can to score political points from it.”
Trump posted on Truth Social shortly after news of the show’s suspension was announced: “Great News for America: The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED.
“Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done. 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!!! President DJT.”
He later claimed to reporters in the UK that “Jimmy Kimmel was fired because he had bad ratings. He was fired from a lack of talent.”
Meanwhile, former President Barack Obama responded to Kimmel’s suspension with a chilling warning.
“After years of complaining about cancel culture, the current administration has taken it to a new and dangerous level by routinely threatening regulatory action against media companies unless they muzzle or fire reporters and commentators it doesn’t like,” he wrote on X.
“This is precisely the kind of government coercion that the First Amendment was designed to prevent — and media companies need to start standing up rather than capitulating to it.”
Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy argued that Kimmel’s suspension was justified.
“With Kimmel getting canned I’m seeing lots of people talking about the hypocrisy of cancel culture,” he said on X. “To me Cancel culture is when people go out of their way to dig up old tweets, videos etc looking for dirt on somebody they don’t like in an effort to get them fired.”
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Portnoy, who has expressed his support for Trump in the past, added: “Like if Kimmel got canceled for s*** he did on the Man Show that would be cancel culture. But when a person says something that a ton of people find offensive, rude, dumb in real time and then that person is punished for it that’s not cancel culture. That is consequences for your actions,.”
Wanda Sykes, who was scheduled to appear on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Wednesday before the taping was cancelled, shared a video on Instagram criticizing Trump.
“Let’s see. He didn’t end the Ukraine war or solve Gaza within his first week. But he did end freedom of speech within his first year. Hey, for those of you who pray, now’s the time to do it. Love you, Jimmy.”
Julia Louis-Dreyfus similarly expressed her support of Kimmel, writing on Threads: “I stand with jimmykimmellive. I stand for Free Speech. I stand for Democracy. SHAME SHAME SHAME @ABC.”
Former late-night host David Letterman labeled the news “misery,” “silly,” and “ridiculous.”
“I feel bad about this,” he said Thursday at The Atlantic Festival 2025 in New York. “We see where this is all going, correct? It’s managed media. And it’s no good. It’s silly. It’s ridiculous. And you can’t go around firing somebody because you’re fearful or trying to suck up to an authoritarian criminal administration in the Oval Office. That’s just not how this works.
“The institution of the president of the United States ought to be bigger than a guy doing a talk show,” he added, noting that Kimmel’s removal “was predicted by our president right after Stephen Colbert got walked off, so you’re telling me this isn’t premeditated at some level?”
On X, formerly Twitter, Ben Stiller shared the news and wrote: “This isn’t right.”
Sophia Bush did the same and added: “The First Amendment doesn’t exist in America anymore. Period. Fascism is here and it’s chilling.”
MSNBC host Chris Hayes also posted on X, writing: “This is the most straightforward attack on free speech from state actors I’ve ever seen in my life and it’s not even close.”
California governor Gavin Newsom said the GOP “does not believe in free speech” and California senator Adam Schiff wrote the Trump “administration is responsible for the most blatant attacks on the free press in American history.”
American comedian Mike Birbiglia called on fellow comedians to stand up for the “insanity of pulling Kimmel off the air” and free speech.
Connecticut senator Chris Murphy urged people to “mobilize and organize” in response to the suspension in a video posted on X.
“If you don’t raise your voices right now about the assault on free speech, about Donald Trump’s decision to, disgustingly, exploit the murder of Charlie Kirk so as to try to permanently render powerless and impotent those who politically oppose him, there may be no democracy to save a year from now,” he said.
The League star Paul Scheer shared a video of political commentator Brian Kilmeade recommending unhoused people be given “involuntary lethal injection” on Threads and wrote: “So let me get this straight. Kimmel is off the air for his comments about the politicization of an assassination but this is totally fine.”
Twitch streamer Hasan Piker wrote: “Every corporation is instantly folding to the admin even when its over an utterly innoffensive joke the admin doesnt like! Liberals need to wake up!!!! We all have to fight back, these wealthy assholes arent going to stand up for anything beyond their bottom line!”
Hacks star Jean Smart shared on her Instagram that she was “horrified” at the suspension. “I am horrified at the cancellation of Jimmy Kimmel Live. What Jimmy said was FREE speech, not hate speech,” she wrote.
“People seem to only want to protect free speech when it suits THEIR agenda. Though I didn’t agree at ALL with Charlie Kirk; his shooting death sickened me; and should have sickened any decent human being. What is happening to our country?”
Kathy Griffin wrote on Instagram: “Please, take it from me, it is very important to have Jimmy Kimmel’s back right now. Be vocal. Be an ideological consumer. Money is all their crown cares about.”
Actor and producer Henry Winkler wrote: “Jimmy Kimmel, his humor, his insights are important to keep showing us who we are. AND he is a most wonderful fellow.”
“Very much looking forward to Elon Musk’s spirited defense of Jimmy Kimmel’s free speech,” Jon Cryer wrote on BlueSky.
Christie Brinkley shared a photo of John Oliver, Seth Meyers, Kimmel, Stephen Colbert, and Jimmy Fallon on her Instagram Stories and wrote: “Love these guys ! The laughter they provide us is as important as the air we breath! And they are taking another one of them off the air tonight! WE MUST PROTECT their and OUR 1st Anendment [sic] RIGHTS!!!!”
ABC’s announcement on the suspension came soon after Nexstar Media Group, the largest owner of television stations across the country, said that it would no longer air Kimmel’s show. Nexstar owns America’s largest local broadcasting group, comprising top network affiliates, with more than 200 owned or partner stations in 116 U.S. markets reaching 220 million people.
“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,” said the company in a statement.
Andrew Alford, the President of Nexstar’s broadcasting division, added: “Mr Kimmel’s comments about the death of Mr Kirk are offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse, and we do not believe they reflect the spectrum of opinions, views, or values of the local communities in which we are located.”
Alford added: “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.”
ABC’s decision also came after the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) threatened to discipline Kimmel if ABC did not act first.
Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old man suspected of fatally shooting Kirk, has been officially charged with aggravated murder and six other counts, including obstruction of justice and witness tampering. Utah prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Robinson.
Officials say Robinson was radicalized online and subscribed to a “leftist” ideology, and that he had had enough of Kirk’s hatred, according to text messages he is claimed to have sent to his roommate.
