President Donald Trump responded to the cancellation of Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Wednesday after ABC and its parent company Disney pulled the late-night program, coinciding with the resurfacing of a years-old tweet from Charlie Kirk that dismissed the host.
Trump celebrated the move in a Truth Social post, writing:
Great News for America: The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED. Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done. Kimmel has ZERO talent, and worse ratings than even Colbert, if that’s possible. That leaves Jimmy and Seth, two total losers, on Fake News NBC. Their ratings are also horrible. Do it NBC!!! President DJT.
Kirk had remarked on X in 2017, “Jimmy Kimmel isn’t funny.” His observation gained attention again on social media as users reacted to the network’s decision to remove Kimmel following backlash over his on-air comments about Kirk’s assassination.
ABC, Disney, and Nexstar Media Group announced this week that Jimmy Kimmel Live! would be “pre-empted indefinitely” following Kimmel’s statements about the killing of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. Nexstar president Andrew Alford said Kimmel’s comments were “offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse” and did not reflect the values of local communities. The company stated that replacing the show was in the “public interest” until “cooler heads prevail.”
The fallout began when Kimmel suggested during his Monday monologue that Kirk’s assassin may have been part of the “MAGA gang” and mocked President Trump’s decision to order flags flown at half-staff. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr responded by calling Kimmel’s assertions “truly sick” and warned ABC and Disney could face consequences, including potential action against their broadcast license. Carr emphasized stations had a responsibility not to mislead the public and cautioned that suspension was one possible outcome.
Reports on the suspect contradicted Kimmel’s characterization. Authorities identified 22-year-old Tyler Robinson as the alleged shooter. Family members indicated Robinson disliked Kirk and held left-leaning views. Relatives recounted that his transgender partner “hates conservatives and Christians,” a detail later confirmed by Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, who noted the partner was “a male transitioning to female.” In a message left for the partner, Robinson admitted to shooting Kirk.
Fox News host Greg Gutfeld argued that Kimmel’s lines had ended his late-night run, calling him “done” if he failed to address them. Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) claimed the suspension resulted from government pressure. In an interview on CNN, Schumer warned the move could set the nation on a path toward “autocracy” and predicted lawsuits over free speech violations. CNN’s Brian Stelter also contended that “America is a less free place if late night comedians cannot do and say what they want.”
The cancellation comes just months after CBS confirmed the upcoming end of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, citing financial losses estimated at $40 million per year. Executives described the decision as a “financial” one tied to industry shifts, though Colbert suggested otherwise during his broadcasts, labeling Paramount’s $16 million settlement with Trump a “big, fat bribe.”
Trump has repeatedly called out late-night hosts, posting in July that Colbert’s “talent was even less than his ratings” and predicting that “Jimmy Kimmel is next.” He later added that both Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon would soon be off the air, dubbing it the “untalented Late Night Sweepstakes.” Colbert and Jon Stewart responded with expletive-laden retorts, while Kimmel defended Colbert and said that watching Trump get booed at a WWE event “cheered me up.”
At the 2025 Emmy Awards earlier this month, there was no mention of Charlie Kirk’s assassination. Stephen Colbert received a standing ovation and used his acceptance speech to mourn the loss of his show. In a separate pre-taped message, however, Colbert denounced political violence, extended condolences to Kirk’s family, and referred to him as “a prominent right-wing activist.
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