ABC removed Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night program from the air on Wednesday after the U.S. Federal Communications Commission chair publicly warned that affiliates airing the show could face license challenges over comments Kimmel made about the recent killing of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk. The abrupt decision prompted accusations of government censorship from critics and praise from former President Donald Trump.
Trump hailed the removal on his social platform, calling it “Great News for America,” and urged further cancellations of other late-night hosts. In Hollywood, audience members were turned away before Wednesday’s scheduled taping.
The controversy follows the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk on a Utah campus last week — an event that has sharply divided the U.S. political landscape. Authorities have charged 22-year-old Tyler Robinson with murder. On Monday’s show, Kimmel criticized efforts to frame the shooter’s motives along partisan lines and mocked aspects of political reactions, drawing fierce rebukes from conservatives.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr publicly urged ABC affiliates to stop broadcasting Kimmel’s show or face potential license revocation, saying affiliates risk regulatory consequences if they continue to air the program. Hours after Carr’s remarks, Nexstar — a major ABC affiliate group currently pursuing a large merger that requires FCC approval — announced it would stop airing the show. ABC, owned by Disney, then pulled Kimmel’s program nationwide.
Critics condemned the sequence as a dangerous precedent for free expression. “Any show that’s on TV that speaks out against Donald Trump, he’s trying to shut down,” said one viewer, calling the move un-American. Several Democratic leaders also accused the administration and the FCC chair of coordinating pressure to silence dissenting voices.
Supporters of the action said broadcasters and regulators were reacting to what they saw as inflammatory commentary in a charged moment. The White House and conservative figures have increasingly targeted media, universities, and cultural institutions they view as hostile to their agenda — a campaign that has resulted in lawsuits and costly settlements by some media companies in recent years.
Representatives for Kimmel had not immediately commented, and ABC had not provided a further statement beyond the decision to pull the show.
