Watch the Monologue That Got Jimmy Kimmel Pulled After Charlie Kirk Remark

ABC has taken Jimmy Kimmel Live! off the schedule, and the late-night show may not return anytime soon. The decision comes after Nexstar Media Group, which owns dozens of ABC affiliates across the country, announced it would no longer carry the program.

The move is tied to comments Jimmy Kimmel made earlier this week about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Kirk was shot and killed on September 10 during a debate at Utah Valley University. Authorities arrested a suspect days later.

In his monologue, Kimmel accused conservatives of twisting the situation for political gain. “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang trying to characterize this kid who killed Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them,” he said.

Kimmel also mocked Donald Trump’s reaction to a question about Kirk’s death, after Trump veered off topic to discuss a new ballroom at the White House.

Nexstar issued a statement saying it “strongly objects to recent comments made by Mr. Kimmel concerning the killing of Charlie Kirk and will replace the show with other programming in its ABC-affiliated markets.” The company operates 32 ABC stations in cities like Nashville, Salt Lake City, and New Orleans, which makes its refusal to air the show a major blow to ABC.

Jimmy Kimmel’s full comments on Charlie Kirk which led to his show being taken off air indefinitely. pic.twitter.com/Ctg7LL8HWL

— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) September 18, 2025

The reaction has been split. Free speech advocates warn the decision is troubling, while supporters of Kirk welcomed the move. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr sided with Nexstar, writing on social media: “Local broadcasters have an obligation to serve the public interest. While this may be an unprecedented decision, it is important for broadcasters to push back on Disney programming that they determine falls short of community.”

The timing of all this is notable. Nexstar is in the middle of trying to buy another large TV station group, Tegna, for $6.2 billion. That deal still needs FCC approval. A Nexstar spokesperson would not say if the pending purchase factored into the company’s choice to drop Kimmel.

Donald Trump also recently celebrated on social media after CBS recently pulled The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. He also suggested Kimmel would be next, writing: “I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings. I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. Has even less talent than Colbert! Greg Gutfeld is better than all of them combined, including the Moron on NBC who ruined the once great Tonight Show.”

For now, ABC has sidelined one of its biggest late-night personalities. Whether Kimmel will return is uncertain, but the clash highlights how politics, corporate decisions, and government pressure can shape what viewers see on TV.

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