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Donald Trump has publicly celebrated ABC’s decision to indefinitely suspend Jimmy Kimmel Live! following controversial remarks made by Jimmy Kimmel about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The suspension came after significant backlash from ABC affiliates, criticism from regulators and mounting political pressure.
In a post on his platform Truth Social, Trump wrote: “Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done.” He repeated characterizations of Kimmel as “not a talented person” with “bad ratings,” suggesting that those factors, alongside the comments about Charlie Kirk, justified the removal.
Speaking at a news conference during his visit to the UK, Trump echoed those sentiments. He said that while some may call the suspension an issue of free speech, in his view the decisive factor was declining performance. He told reporters, “Jimmy Kimmel was fired because he had bad ratings more than anything else and he said a horrible thing about a great gentleman known as Charlie Kirk.”
Beyond praising the ABC decision, Trump also used the moment to push for wider changes in late-night television. He called on NBC to cancel other late-night programs hosted by Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers, claiming their ratings are similarly weak. Statements like “Do it, NBC!!!” appeared in his social posts.
As of now, Jimmy Kimmel Live! remains suspended with no announced date for its return. ABC has not confirmed whether NBC or other networks will follow Trump’s encouragement.
Reactions to Trump’s comments have been divided. Supporters of the president have argued that he is standing up against what they see as biased entertainment that regularly mocks conservatives, while critics say his involvement in media decisions reflects an unhealthy politicization of broadcast programming.
