Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show was abruptly taken off the air Wednesday after the US government hinted at canceling broadcasting licenses due to Kimmel’s remarks about conservative influencer Charlie Kirk’s death.
The decision by ABC to remove one of America’s top late-night shows was criticized as government censorship, yet praised by Donald Trump, who has often been the target of comedic jabs.
“Great News for America,” Trump posted on his Truth Social account.
“Kudos to ABC for showing the courage to do what needed to be done.”
Trump, who previously celebrated the cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s show, called for more comedians to be taken off the air.
“That leaves Jimmy (Fallon) and Seth (Meyers) on Fake News NBC. Their ratings are terrible. Do it NBC!!!”
In Hollywood, where Kimmel’s show is filmed, attendees were turned away just before the Wednesday taping.
Tommy Williams, a longshoreman from Florida, expressed his dismay to AFP, calling it un-American.
“Any show criticizing Trump is being targeted,” he said. “We’re losing our freedom of speech. This happens in countries like Russia, North Korea, and China.”
FCC threat
The controversy erupted a week after Kirk, an ally of Trump, was killed on a Utah campus, igniting a fierce debate over blame in a divided America, with conservatives pointing fingers at “the radical left.”
Authorities charged 22-year-old Tyler Robinson as the sole shooter.
On Monday, Kimmel addressed the incident in his opening monologue.
“The MAGA group is trying hard to portray this shooter as anything but one of them, all to score political points,” Kimmel commented, alluding to Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement.
He showed footage of Trump deflecting a question about Kirk’s death to boast about a new ballroom at the White House, drawing laughs from the audience.
“This isn’t how an adult mourns a friend’s death. It’s how a child grieves a goldfish,” Kimmel said.
On Wednesday, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr threatened the licenses of ABC affiliates airing Kimmel’s show.
“These affiliates need to push back or risk FCC license revocation,” he told podcaster Benny Johnson. “Change conduct regarding Kimmel, or face more FCC action.”
Hours later, Nexstar, a major ABC affiliate owner, announced it would drop the show. Nexstar is in a major merger requiring FCC approval.
ABC, owned by Disney, followed suit by pulling the show nationwide.
Kimmel has not commented, and his representatives did not respond to AFP.
‘They are censoring you’
The White House has aggressively targeted cultural institutions seen as opposing Trump’s right-wing nationalism.
Law firms, universities, and media outlets have faced lawsuits deemed baseless, but resulting in large settlements.
ABC and CBS have settled, with payments going to Trump’s future presidential library, viewed as an effort to stay in Trump’s favor.
Democrats quickly reacted on Wednesday.
“Trump and Carr have made it clear: conform or be silenced,” tweeted US Senator Ben Ray Lujan.
“Buying media, firing commentators, canceling shows—it’s coordinated and dangerous,” wrote California Governor Gavin Newsom.
“They are censoring you in real time.”
