Jimmy Kimmel's Charlie Kirk Comments Are Apparently Why His Show Got Pulled

ABC announced on Sept. 17 that it would be pulling Jimmy Kimmel Live! from the air indefinitely. The move, which happened quite suddenly, came after Brendan Carr, the chairman of the FCC, threatened the stations that carry the show, and the host faced backlash for comments he made on the show about the killing of Charlie Kirk.

Given the incredible severity of the consequences for these comments, many naturally wondered what Kimmel actually said. Here's what we know.

Although the punishment for Kimmel's comments was quite severe, the comments themselves certainly didn't seem, at least at the time, like a justifiable reason for the show to get pulled from the air.

"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," he said during a monologue on Sept. 15, per NPR.

These comments, which were not about Kirk himself but instead about the response to his death, are apparently what led his show to be pulled from the air. After the killing happened last week, Kimmel made initial comments condemning the shooting.

He called it "senseless," and posted a message on Instagram in which he offered prayers for Kirk's family and for all victims of gun violence.

After ABC announced that it would be pulling Kimmel's show indefinitely, President Trump celebrated the news in a post on Truth Social. The news of Kimmel's suspension comes just months after CBS announced that it was canceling The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. Both Colbert and Kimmel have been harsh critics of the president, and Trump celebrated the decision to cancel both shows, while also suggesting that he was still planning to come after Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers.

The move also comes after FCC chair Brendan Carr told podcaster Benny Johnson on Wednesday that he might have to take action against some of the companies that carry Kimmel's show.

"Look, we can do this the easy way or the hard way," he said. "These companies can find ways to change conduct, to take action on Kimmel or, you know, there's going to be additional work for the FCC ahead."

Although plenty of people who support President Trump celebrated the move, there were also plenty of people who suggested that it was the latest attack by the Trump administration on free speech.

"The right to speak our minds and to disagree with each other — to disturb, even, is at the very heart of what it means to be a free people," the Writers Guild of America wrote in a statement following the news.

While Kimmel has not yet been fired, and it's possible that Disney will reinstate him, only time will tell. For now, we have to wait and see how this story develops.