For many Americans, late-night television has long been a space for irreverence, social commentary, and, sometimes, pointed political satire. But in September 2025, that tradition collided with a storm of political pressure, regulatory threats, and national outrage as ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” was abruptly suspended—then reinstated—following the host’s controversial remarks about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The resulting saga has become a flashpoint in the nation’s ongoing debate over free speech, government overreach, and the boundaries of broadcast media.
On September 10, 2025, Charlie Kirk, a prominent Trump ally and founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed—a tragedy that quickly became a political battleground. Just five days later, Jimmy Kimmel, never one to shy away from controversy, addressed the incident in his opening monologue. “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang 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,” Kimmel said, before lampooning President Trump’s reaction to the killing (as reported by Los Angeles Times and Time).
The backlash was swift. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee, accused Kimmel of “appearing to directly mislead the American public” and issued a veiled threat on a conservative podcast: “These companies can find ways to change conduct, to take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or, you know, there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.” According to Los Angeles Times, Carr’s remarks were widely interpreted as an attempt to pressure ABC and its parent company, Disney, into disciplining Kimmel—a charge Carr later denied, insisting the decision was about the show’s “poor ratings.”
But the fallout was already underway. Two major ABC affiliate owners—Nextstar and Sinclair—announced they would drop “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” from their schedules, leading ABC to preempt the show indefinitely. Disney, for its part, said in a statement on September 22 that the suspension was intended “to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country.” The company added, “It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive. We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday.” (Time)
President Trump, never one to miss an opportunity to needle critics, celebrated the suspension on his Truth Social account: “Great News for America: The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED. 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.”
The move, however, sparked a fierce backlash across the political spectrum. California Attorney General Rob Bonta accused Carr of unlawfully intimidating broadcasters into “toeing a conservative line in favor of President Trump.” In a sharply worded letter, Bonta warned, “Censoring and silencing critics because you don’t like what they say—be it a comedian, a lawyer, or a peaceful protester—is fundamentally un-American,” adding that such censorship by the U.S. government is “absolutely chilling.” Bonta called on Carr to “stop his campaign of censorship” and to pledge not to use the FCC “to retaliate against private parties” for speech he disagrees with. (Los Angeles Times)
Constitutional scholars and First Amendment advocates quickly weighed in. Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of UC Berkeley Law School, lambasted Carr’s actions as part of a “broad assault on free speech by the administration, which is showing a stunning ignorance and disregard of the 1st amendment.” Summer Lopez, interim co-chief executive of PEN America, called it “a dangerous moment for free speech” in the United States, citing not just Carr’s threats but a wider pattern of government statements and actions targeting dissenting voices.
Even some conservatives voiced alarm. Senator Ted Cruz, chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee overseeing the FCC, said on his podcast, “I found it unbelievably dangerous for government to put itself in the position of saying we’re going to decide what speech we like and what we don’t, and we’re going to threaten to take you off air if we don’t like what you’re saying.” Cruz, who said he works closely with Carr, added that the precedent could “be used down the line to silence every conservative in America.”
Inside the entertainment industry, the suspension of Kimmel’s show was met with outrage. More than 400 Hollywood celebrities signed an open letter from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) condemning the move, and several industry unions representing hundreds of thousands of workers joined in public protest. The controversy also drew attention to the earlier cancellation of CBS’s “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” another Trump critic, in a move widely seen as politically motivated (Time).
Meanwhile, ABC’s own “The View” broke its silence on September 22. After initial criticism for not addressing the Kimmel controversy, co-host Whoopi Goldberg declared on air, “No one silences us. The government cannot, cannot apply pressure to force someone to be silenced.” Co-host Ana Navarro thanked viewers for “demanding truth and courage,” and the segment focused on defending free speech and criticizing the FCC’s role. Critics, including comedian Bill Maher and former “The View” cohost Nicolle Wallace, had previously noted the unusual silence from the program, fueling speculation about internal pressure from ABC.
According to Fox News Digital, Kimmel himself refused to apologize for his comments, reportedly planning to defend them and criticize his detractors on the September 17 episode—before the show was suspended. Bill Maher, recalling his own cancellation by ABC in 2002 for controversial remarks, publicly supported Kimmel, quipping, “ABC means ‘Always Be Caving.’ So Jimmy, friend, I’m with you. I support you. And on the bright side, you no longer have to pretend you like Disneyland.”
As the dust settled, Disney announced that “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” would return to air on September 23. California Governor Gavin Newsom, a frequent Trump critic, lauded the decision as “a win for free speech everywhere,” pointedly excluding FCC Chairman Carr from his thanks. However, the show’s future remained uncertain in some markets, with both Nextstar and Sinclair indicating they would not resume airing Kimmel until “appropriate steps have been taken.”
For many, the episode has become a case study in the precarious balance between government oversight, corporate responsibility, and the enduring American value of free expression. The debate continues, but for now, Jimmy Kimmel is back behind the desk—reminding viewers that, at least sometimes, public outrage and principled resistance can still make a difference.
