Stephen Colbert dedicated a segment of Thursday’s Late Show to free speech and to the staff of Jimmy Kimmel after ABC indefinitely suspended Kimmel following his remarks about the man accused of shooting conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. Colbert called the cancellation “blatant censorship” and described President Donald Trump as an “autocrat,” telling viewers that “you cannot give [him] an inch.” He added, “Jimmy, I stand with you and your staff 100 percent.” “Tonight, we are all Jimmy Kimmel,” Colbert declared as he addressed the audience.
Colbert’s stance came as ABC announced that it was suspending Kimmel’s show “indefinitely” after Kimmel’s remarks about the man accused of shooting conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. Kimmel had wrongly claimed that Tyler Robinson, 22, was a right-wing member of the MAGA movement. Investigators have said Robinson became radicalized with far-left ideologies and was dating his transgender roommate. The remarks drew swift pushback from conservatives and prompted FCC Chairman Brendan Carr to say he was considering an investigation into Kimmel and ABC over the comments.
The episode underscored broader tensions in late-night television and the role of networks in policing on-air commentary. Colbert’s public show of support for Kimmel arrived during a period when other high-profile executives and hosts have faced scrutiny over how political statements are handled on air. In the same notes, Colbert’s own career trajectory has been the subject of media coverage, including reports that his show would end in June following criticisms of a major media merger debate that has framed many industry conversations this year.
The notes also recount that Colbert himself has faced upheaval of a sort: he was reportedly fired in July after criticizing CBS’s parent company, Paramount, for settling a lawsuit with President Trump for $16 million amid a merger with Skydance. Paramount executives said at the time that Colbert’s program would continue through the end of the broadcast season. The episode’s framing implied that, despite industry churn and public feuds, Colbert chose to publicly align with Kimmel in defense of free expression and against what he described as censorship.
ABC’s decision to suspend Kimmel followed the controversy over his remarks about the shooting case, and it represents one of the rare instances in which a late-night host faced a formal setback tied to on-air commentary. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr indicated he was reviewing the remarks for potential regulatory action, signaling that the fallout could extend beyond entertainment headlines. The situation has kept the industry’s attention on how networks balance journalistic and comedic voices with accountability requirements, particularly as mergers and corporate settlements continue to shape the media landscape.
This is a developing story and will be updated with new information as it becomes available.