President Donald Trump on Thursday criticized Jimmy Kimmel harshly following ABC’s decision to pull Jimmy Kimmel Live! off the air indefinitely. The suspension came after remarks Kimmel made about the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.
Trump said Kimmel should have been fired “a long time ago,” citing both low ratings and offensive commentary. “Jimmy Kimmel is not a talented person,” Trump said. “He had very bad ratings, and they should have fired him a long time ago. So you know, you can call that free speech or not. He was fired for lack of talent.”
The controversy began after Kimmel suggested that supporters of Trump were trying to distance themselves from the suspect in Kirk’s murder while also politicizing it. That led to backlash from conservative figures and federals regulators. ABC affiliate groups, including Nexstar, dropped the show from their stations, and FCC Chair Brendan Carr spoke out against Kimmel’s comments as misleading.
Prominent Democrats—including former President Barack Obama—questioned whether this was an example of “cancel culture” and condemned what they saw as political pressure influencing ABC’s decision. Meanwhile, free speech advocates and media analysts warned that this could set dangerous precedents for broadcast media.
Trump, however, stood by the network’s actions, framing them as overdue. “They said a horrible thing about a great gentleman known as Charlie Kirk,” he added. His comments further fueled debate over whether the show’s suspension is about accountability or politicking.
