Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show has been suspended indefinitely after ABC affiliates and Nexstar Media Group objected to comments the host made about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.During his Monday monologue, Kimmel addressed the political fallout following Kirk’s murder, taking aim at supporters of Donald Trump. “We had 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.Kimmel went on to mock President Trump’s reaction to the killing, contrasting the White House’s decision to lower flags with Trump’s remarks about construction at the presidential residence. “This is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he called a friend. This is how a four year old mourns a goldfish,” he said. The comments sparked immediate backlash, particularly from Nexstar, which controls many ABC-affiliated stations. In a statement, Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar’s broadcasting division, condemned the remarks. “Mr. Kimmel’s comments about the death of Mr. Kirk are offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse, and we do not believe they reflect the spectrum of opinions, views, or values of the local communities in which we are located,” he said.Also read: Jimmy Kimmel Live! pulled from ABCNexstar confirmed it would pre-empt “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” indefinitely, replacing the programme with other content across its markets. “Continuing to give Mr. Kimmel a broadcast platform in the communities we serve is simply not in the public interest at the current time,” Alford added, saying the decision aimed to allow “cooler heads” to prevail.ABC echoed the decision, telling reporters the show would be taken off air “indefinitely.” The move comes as the killing of Kirk, a close ally of President Trump and founder of Turning Point USA, has ignited fierce political debate. Authorities say 22-year-old Tyler Robinson has been charged with Kirk’s murder after fatally shooting him during an event at Utah Valley University.The fallout has gone beyond the networks. Federal Communications Commission chairman Brendan Carr described Kimmel’s remarks as “some of the sickest conduct possible” and suggested ABC could face regulatory consequences. Civil liberties groups, however, warned that the growing pressure campaign to silence public figures over commentary on Kirk’s death risked chilling free speech.
