Marrakech – ABC has indefinitely suspended “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” following controversial remarks made by host Jimmy Kimmel regarding the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
In his September 15 monologue, Kimmel criticized the “MAGA gang” for attempting to politicize Kirk’s death, stating, “We hit 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.”
Nexstar Media Group, which operates 23 ABC affiliate stations, announced it would preempt the show indefinitely, labeling Kimmel’s comments as “offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse.”
Shortly thereafter, ABC confirmed the suspension of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr also condemned Kimmel’s comments, suggesting they could warrant regulatory action against ABC and its parent company, Disney.
Carr stated, “We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” indicating potential FCC involvement if ABC did not act.
Supporters argue that broadcasters have a responsibility to serve the public interest and reflect community values, while critics view the move as politically motivated censorship aimed at suppressing dissenting voices.
This comes at a tense time in America, when everyday citizens express more and more on social media their fears about getting penalized for exercising freedom of speech, the First Amendment of the US Constitution.
Supporters of Kimmel flooded his Instagram with comments like “You are loved and respected Jimmy!” as well as “Cancelled? So much for the first amendment.”
Critics also slammed Disney and ABC as a whole, stating “It never occurred to me that @disney and @ABC would be the ones to end free speech and democracy in America. #teamkimmel”
As of now, neither Kimmel nor ABC has issued further public statements regarding the suspension.
