NEW YORK — ABC has suspended late-night host Jimmy Kimmel “indefinitely” after he made controversial remarks about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, according to multiple reports.
The network’s decision, announced Wednesday, came shortly after Nexstar Media Group said its affiliate stations nationwide would begin preempting “Jimmy Kimmel Live” over the remarks.
During his Monday night show, Kimmel said the nation “hit some new lows over the weekend” when “the MAGA gang desperately tried to characterize this kid who killed Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them.” He went on to accuse conservative Republicans of attempting to “score political points” from Kirk’s death and mocked former President Donald Trump, saying he mourned Kirk “the way a 4-year-old mourns a goldfish.”
Nexstar said in a statement that it “strongly objects” to Kimmel’s comments and would remove his program from its ABC-affiliated markets.
“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,” Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar’s broadcasting division, said. “Continuing to give Mr. Kimmel a broadcast platform in the communities we serve is simply not in the public interest at the current time.”
Nexstar, which owns The Hill, NewsNation and the CW, is the nation’s largest provider of local television news. The company operates affiliate stations in dozens of markets across the United States.
Kimmel’s remarks drew sharp criticism from conservative figures, including Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr, who called them “some of the sickest conduct possible.” In a post Wednesday on X, Carr praised Nexstar for “doing the right thing,” saying local broadcasters “have an obligation to serve the public interest” and urging others to follow Nexstar’s lead.
Trump, who has long sparred with Kimmel, celebrated the suspension on Truth Social late Wednesday, calling it “Great News for America” and thanking ABC “for having the courage to do what had to be done.”
