President Donald Trump celebrated the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC's late-night schedule, posting on Truth Social that the ratings-challenged show is 'CANCELLED' and urging NBC to fire Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers next. ABC announced that Kimmel Live would be preempted indefinitely after days of controversy stemming from his monologues about the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Kimmel, who has hosted the late-night program since 2003 and has been a vocal critic of Trump, sparked anger with back-to-back monologues about Kirk's killing. On Monday, he criticized the political response to the event, saying, 'We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang...' The host also attacked a high-ranking federal official, describing FBI Director Kash Patel as mishandling the investigation. On Tuesday, Kimmel ridiculed Vice President JD Vance, who had guest-hosted Kirk's podcast, arguing that Trump supporters were inflaming the situation.
Nexstar Communications Group, one of the nation's largest local operators, announced it would stop airing Kimmel Live! on its 23 ABC-affiliated stations, calling the host's comments about Kirk's death 'offensive and insensitive' during a critical moment in national discourse. Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar's broadcasting division, said the decision reflected a broader assessment of content on affiliated stations. ABC executives acted swiftly in response, and there was no immediate comment from Kimmel.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich weighed in, applauding the move, saying, 'Welcome to Consequence Culture. Normal, common sense Americans are no longer taking the bulls*** and companies like ABC are finally willing to do the right and reasonable thing. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!'.
Trump's post and the corporate actions unfold amid renewed scrutiny of late-night media and political content. The incident illustrates the friction between political commentary and network decision-making, as ABC seeks to balance editorial standards with audience expectations. ABC said Kimmel's program will remain preempted indefinitely, with no announced date for a return, while NBC and other network partners faced renewed pressure over their own programming choices. The industry will watch closely for cues about how networks handle controversial material from late-night hosts and whether such moves affect ratings, advertiser support, and the broader media landscape.