Jimmy Kimmel pulled off air after remarks on Charlie Kirk killing as Trump cheers ABC decision

Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show has been yanked off the air indefinitely by Walt Disney-owned ABC, following a wave of outrage over his monologue on the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The move, which came just hours after Nexstar Media Group announced it would stop airing the show across its ABC affiliates, was swiftly celebrated by President Donald Trump.

“Jimmy Kimmel Live will be pre-empted indefinitely,” an ABC spokesperson confirmed Monday night, without offering further explanation. Nexstar, one of the largest owners of ABC-affiliated stations in the country, said Kimmel’s remarks were “offensive and insensitive,” and argued that continuing to broadcast his program was not in the “public interest.”

The controversy erupted after Kimmel criticized Republicans for politicizing Kirk’s murder during his Monday monologue, accusing the “MAGA gang” of twisting the suspect’s motives for partisan gain. The host also mocked Trump’s tribute to Kirk, comparing the president’s grief to “how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish.”

Kirk, founder of the conservative group Turning Point USA and a close Trump ally, was shot dead last week during a university event in Utah. Prosecutors have charged 22-year-old Tyler Robinson with aggravated murder and are seeking the death penalty.

Trump wasted no time seizing on ABC’s move. “Great news for America: The ratings-challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED,” he posted on Truth Social, adding that the comedian had “zero talent” and urging NBC to axe fellow late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers.

The clash underscores the increasingly fraught relationship between late-night television and politics, where sharp-edged comedy has become a lightning rod in America’s polarized media landscape. For years, Kimmel has been one of Trump’s most outspoken critics on network television. His removal comes just months after CBS abruptly canceled Stephen Colbert’s show, a decision that critics linked to Colbert’s relentless barbs at the president.

Nexstar executives framed their decision as an attempt to restore civility. “Continuing to give Kimmel a broadcast platform in the communities we serve is simply not in the public interest at the current time,” said Andrew Alford, president of the company’s broadcasting division.

But with Trump celebrating and critics warning of political pressure on broadcasters, the decision is certain to fuel debate about free expression, media independence, and the future of America’s late-night satire.