Charlie Kirk, noted activist and Trump-world celebrity known for his right-wing views and pugnacious debating style, was shot in the neck while speaking at a Utah university a week ago. A 22-year-old suspect has been charged with his murder, and his precise motive remains unclear. Jimmy Kimmel, host of the late-night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live! During a monologue on Monday night criticised Republicans who allegedly sought to politicise Kirk’s shooting and took a jab at Trump for behaving like a child mourning his “goldfish” after his ally’s murder.
What Kimmel Said
“We hit some new lows over the weekend, with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” said Kimmel, referring to the president’s ‘Make America Great Again’ movement.
THIS is all that #Kimmel said in Monday’s monologue, which was TRUTHFUL! The shows cancellation was probably more about revealing Trump for his insincere sorrow over Kirk’s death @lookner pic.twitter.com/nbXMLO6S5A
— Barb (@my2cnz) September 18, 2025
Kimmel then showed footage of Trump pivoting from a question about how he had been affected by Kirk’s murder to boasting about the new ballroom he is building at the White House, prompting laughter from the studio audience.
“This is not how an adult grieves the murder of somebody they call a friend. This is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish,” Kimmel said.
The Aftermath Of The Comment
According to a report by Reuters, Kimmel’s comments led to a response from Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr, who urged local broadcasters to stop airing Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC. After Carr spoke, Nexstar Media Group said it would stop airing the show on its 32 ABC affiliates, citing Kimmel’s comments.
Nexstar, which reportedly needs US FCC approval for its $6.2-billion deal to acquire smaller rival Tegna, drew praise from Carr, who thanked Nexstar for “doing the right thing.”
Shortly after Nexstar announced its decision, ABC, which holds FCC-approved licenses for the local broadcast affiliates that it owns, also said Kimmel would be pulled from the air. “Jimmy Kimmel Live! will be preempted indefinitely,” an ABC spokesperson said, without elaborating.
Sinclair, the nation’s largest ABC affiliate group, then stated that it would not air Kimmel’s show, even if ABC decides to bring it back, unless “appropriate steps” are taken. Sinclair called on Kimmel to apologise and said it would air a tribute to Kirk in Kimmel’s time slot on Friday.
Republican leaders and conservative commentators have warned Americans to mourn Kirk respectfully or suffer consequences, and some people have been fired or suspended after discussing the killing online.
Trump’s Reaction
Donald Trump celebrated the news in a social media post. “Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
Kimmel claimed that many in “Magaland” are working very hard to capitalise on the murder of Charlie Kirk.
Colbert Faces Trump’s Ire
With CBS pulling The Late Show with Stephen Colbert off air in May 2026, after host Stephen Colbert made a few remarks about Trump’s signature on Jeffrey Epstein’s birthday card. He called it a “Picasso of pervitude”. Both shows were cancelled when the hosts made jokes about Trump, resulting in this strange timing.
As reported by TIME, CBS stated in July that the show will be cancelled due to “purely financial reasons against a challenging landscape in late-night television. It has nothing to do with the show’s performance, content, or any Paramount-related events.” Others feel that the decision was politically driven. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert won best talk series for the first time at the 2025 Emmys after the news of cancellation, to which Colbert joked that Trump doesn’t have one.
Political commentator Chris Hayes has criticised the move on MSNBC. He said the US president and wealthy oligarchs were aiming to transform the American media into a friendly propaganda arm of the regime.
David Letterman joined the fray, saying it sets a dangerous precedent. That they can’t go around firing somebody because they’re fearful or trying to suck up to an authoritarian, criminal administration at The Atlantic Festival.
Trump has had a history of taking on networks and media houses. He has filed a $15 billion defamation lawsuit against the New York Times and book publisher Penguin Random House, his latest legal assault on major media companies he accuses of treating him unfairly, as reported by DD News.
According to The Guardian, Trump sued ABC and its host George Stephanopoulos last year for having said that Trump was found liable for rape rather than “sexual abuse” in the civil suit brought by E. Jean Carroll. The network settled for $16 million. Trump sued CBS for allegedly editing an interview with Kamala Harris on 60 Minutes to make her sound more coherent. CBS also agreed to pay $16 million.
