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Journalism of Courage
ABC has abruptly pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live! off the air after the late-night host sparked a firestorm over comments he made about Tyler Robinson, the man charged in the shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The move comes just months after Stephen Colbert said he would leave The Late Show, signalling a turbulent moment for the late night American TV network.
During a recent broadcast, Kimmel suggested Kirk’s alleged shooter was part of the “MAGA gang.” Kirk, a high-profile Trump ally, was shot and killed while attending an event in Utah. Following a wave of backlash, ABC announced through a spokesperson that the show “will be pre-empted indefinitely.”
The decision stunned Hollywood and drew an outpouring of support online. Ben Stiller posted on X, “This isn’t right,” while California Governor Gavin Newsom accused Republicans of orchestrating a censorship campaign. “They are censoring you in real time. It’s coordinated. And it’s dangerous,” he wrote.
Others in entertainment echoed the outrage. Actor Paul Scheer argued on Threads, “So let me get this straight. Kimmel is off the air for his comments about the politicization of an assassination but this is totally fine,” linking to a clip of Fox host Brian Kilmeade suggesting homeless people should be killed.
British-American journalist Mehdi Hasan added, “Silly Jimmy Kimmel. He should have just called for all homeless people to be killed and he’d still have a job.”
Online reaction split sharply. Critics accused ABC of “shameless bullying and extortion” and warned, “The 1st step of authoritarianism is to control the media.” One comment making the rounds read: “When a broadcaster demands an apology and a donation before letting Jimmy Kimmel back on air, that’s not ‘standards’–that’s extortion with a patriotic bow on top. Free speech isn’t supposed to come with a price tag.”
Yet supporters of the network’s decision said Kimmel had crossed a line. “We can’t continue to allow lunatics to roam free online and offline hurting the minds of our younger generation … may the soul of Charlie Kirk rest in peace,” wrote one user. Another predicted, “I don’t think Jimmy Kimmel Live will return.”
US president Donald Trump openly celebrated ABC’s move. On Truth Social, he called it “great news for America” and congratulated the network for “finally having the courage to do what had to be done,” also taking shots at Kimmel’s ratings and talent. “Their ratings are also horrible. Do it NBC!!!” he wrote, while labelling Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers “total losers” and urging NBC to follow suit.
