Jimmy Kimmel, a popular comedian and television show host, had his talk show on ABC suspended for a few days in mid-September. A controversial topic was brought up, the political assassination of the man Charlie Kirk, and Jimmy Kimmel ended up going on a monologue about the suspects and about the views on the situation. Two days later, the FCC threatened to pull ABC’s affiliate broadcasting license in response to the way Kimmel went about bringing up the topic.
Kimmel stated that the “MAGA gang” was trying to score political points from the shooting. President Trump responded to his suspension by saying that his suspension is “Great news for America.” Some prominent Hollywood figures were condemning the situation, saying that there might be censorship and violations of rights. While there may be some points to the things he was saying, certain opinions have to be kept to yourself. Everything said needs to be thought about before being commented on.
Kimmel was commenting on and mocking Trump’s response to Kirk’s death, along with the flags being flown at half-mast. They have to think about the repercussions of such comments when your targets are the president and a “political¨ figure who’s just been assassinated. Also, making comments on the way Trump mourned the death by saying, “This is not how adults grieve the murder of someone he calls a friend. This is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish.”
Hours after Kimmel was suspended, Nexstar Media, one of the biggest owners of TV stations in the US, said that they would no longer air his show, “for the foreseeable future.” They believed that Kimmel’s remarks about the situation were not appropriate and were insensitive to the people involved in what happened and who were there.
After holding a “thoughtful” conversation with Kimmel, his suspensions were lifted, and he was welcomed back on air by all of the affiliated stations with his show. His show resumed on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, along with Nexstar announcing that they would be reinstating the show. In return, his show gathered nearly 6.3 million viewers on the network and was doing better than ever. People seemed to have thought that late-night shows were irrelevant, but he has shown otherwise. Kimmel thanked his audience for staying by him all this time and to “Make your voices heard, so that mine could be heard.”
If you are looking for more information about this, click the link to check out Reporter Mia Suarez’s Article, Does Jimmy Kimmel’s Cancellation Violate The First Amendment?
