Just two months after CBS announced the cancellation of ‘The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,’ ABC delivered another shockwave, revealing that ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ would be indefinitely pulled from the air.
On Wednesday, a wave of outrage swept through fans, celebrities, and Democratic politicians alike. Their anger stemmed from ABC’s announcement that ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ would be indefinitely removed from the airwaves, a decision many slammed as blatant censorship and a direct assault on free speech.
In stark contrast, conservative activists and media figures applauded ABC’s actions. They argued that Kimmel’s recent comments regarding the motives of the individual accused in the fatal shooting of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk were egregious enough to justify his show’s suspension.
The controversy erupted after Kimmel’s Monday broadcast, where he stated that the “MAGA gang” was “desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”
These contrasting reactions vividly underscored the deep partisan chasm that has widened across America following Charlie Kirk’s tragic death.
Among the small group of protesters who gathered outside Kimmel’s Hollywood studio on Wednesday evening was Nicholas Scutti, a 33-year-old aspiring comedy writer from Los Angeles. Scutti, deeply affected by ABC’s decision, felt compelled to join the public demonstration of disapproval.
He emphasized the urgency of the moment, stating, “I think it is important to speak up now because if people don’t speak up now, it will be harder to speak up later.”
Across the street, outside the TCL Chinese Theater, 22-year-old Connor Lattery of Burbank, California, was waiting for a premiere screening of ‘HIM,’ a new football-themed horror film. He expressed his “shock” at ABC’s unexpected announcement.
Lattery commented, “Seeing the clip that they’re canceling him over, it seemed like a little bit of an extreme decision.”
Heidie Garcia, 21, who had traveled from near Long Beach, California, to see the same film, appeared less surprised by the news. “We can’t say anything anymore — everything is being censored,” she lamented.
Online, the discourse mirrored the real-world divide. Many conservatives viewed ABC’s action as a long-awaited consequence for a comedian they’d often criticized. Meanwhile, critics of the Trump administration quickly linked the network’s decision, which they alleged was influenced by the government, to broader attempts to stifle free expression.
Dave Portnoy, the founder of Barstool Sports, dismissed the idea that Kimmel’s removal constituted “cancel culture.” He argued that “when a person says something that a ton of people find offensive, rude, dumb in real time and then that person is punished for it that’s not cancel culture. That is consequences for your actions.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, took to social media platform X on Wednesday, asserting that the Republican Party’s sustained pressure on media companies to dismiss commentators, cancel programs, and exert control over platforms represented a “coordinated” and “dangerous” assault on the First Amendment.
Newsom’s post directly accused, “The @GOP does not believe in free speech. They are censoring you in real time.”
Tommy Vietor, a former national security spokesman for President Barack Obama and co-host of the liberal political podcast “Pod Save America,” labeled the suspension of Kimmel’s show “absurd.” While acknowledging that Kimmel should correct any factual errors, Vietor declared on X that “suspending or canceling the show is a wild overreaction.”
Hasan Piker, the prominent left-wing streamer who was slated to debate Charlie Kirk earlier this month, voiced his concerns on X, alleging that corporations were “instantly folding” to the Trump administration and urging liberals to resist.
Senator Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat, called for public mobilization against the show’s removal, accusing Mr. Trump of exploiting Charlie Kirk’s death to silence political adversaries.
In a powerful video statement on social media, Senator Murphy warned, “If you don’t raise your voices right now about the assault on free speech, about Donald Trump’s decision to, disgustingly, exploit the murder of Charlie Kirk so as to try to permanently render powerless and impotent those who politically oppose him, there may be no democracy to save a year from now.”
This suspension of Kimmel’s program follows a similar shake-up in late-night television. Just two months prior, CBS revealed it was canceling “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” a direct competitor in the same time slot, a decision that also sparked significant fan backlash.
CBS had previously stated that Colbert’s cancellation was a “purely financial decision,” unrelated to his political leanings, which, like Kimmel’s, are strongly anti-Trump. Both hosts are known for their frequent critiques of right-wing politics and the Trump administration in their opening monologues.
From Britain, where he was on a state visit, Mr. Trump lauded ABC’s action in a social media post, hailing it as “Great News for America” and challenging NBC to follow suit with its own late-night shows.
Trump’s post declared, “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.”
Echoing these sentiments, other conservative voices also weighed in on social media.
Conservative commentator Mark R. Levin asserted that Kimmel’s show should have been “canned a long time ago.”
Levin simply added, “Better late than never.”
Former Fox News anchor and current YouTube host, Megyn Kelly, pondered the audience’s reaction to Kimmel’s controversial monologue.
In a post on X, Kelly mused, “Just think for a minute about the amount of IRATE mail/viewer feedback they must have gotten to do this.”
Hours before ABC’s pre-emption announcement, Donald Trump Jr., the president’s son, had already taken to X to label Mr. Kimmel a “disgrace.”