ABC has suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! after the late-night host’s remarks about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk drew heavy criticism from Republicans and federal regulators.
During his monologue on Monday, Mr Kimmel accused conservatives of using Kirk’s death for “political points.” He suggested supporters of Donald Trump were trying to shift blame for the killing onto their opponents.
“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them,” he said. “In between the finger-pointing, there was grieving.”
The comments sparked swift outrage. Conservatives accused Kimmel of falsely linking the shooter to their movement. Brendan Carr, chair of the Federal Communications Commission, joined in the criticism.
“@jimmykimmel is explicitly stating that MAGA killed Charlie Kirk and is victim blaming the assassination on Charlie’s movement,” said right-wing commentator Benny Johnson on social media.
ABC executives pulled the show indefinitely on Tuesday. The network did not immediately explain its decision but is understood to have acted amid political pressure.
Kimmel also mocked Donald Trump during his monologue, after the former president talked about a ballroom he was building instead of addressing Kirk’s death directly.
The backlash has sparked debate over whether a major broadcaster should silence one of its most prominent late-night hosts under political threat.
Arizona Republic columnist Bill Goodykoontz noted that Kimmel did not explicitly claim the shooter was a Trump supporter. He questioned whether ABC had caved too quickly. “This raises serious concerns about how much power politicians have to dictate what goes on air,” he wrote.
For now, Kimmel’s programme remains off air. A video of his remarks remains available on his official YouTube channel.
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