Jimmy Kimmel will be pulled from dozens of ABC affiliate stations as Sinclair Broadcast Group plans to replace Jimmy Kimmel Live! with a tribute to Charlie Kirk, while demanding both a public apology and a personal donation to Turning Point USA in response to Kimmel’s on-air criticism of the political right’s reaction to Kirk’s assassination.
Deadline reports the programming change will take place Friday (September 19), with Sinclair citing what it called “inappropriate and deeply insensitive” remarks made by Kimmel during his September 15 and 16 monologues. Sinclair’s vice chairman, Jason Smith, said the company expected Kimmel to issue “a formal, direct apology to the Kirk family and make a meaningful personal donation” to both the family and the conservative organization Kirk founded.
Kimmel had used his monologues to mock Donald Trump’s televised eulogy, accuse Republicans of politicizing Kirk’s death, and criticize efforts to shift blame away from far-right extremism.
The backlash was swift. ABC and Nexstar suspended the show across several major markets, and the Federal Communications Commission backed the move.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr signaled support for Sinclair’s action and hinted at upcoming regulatory reviews of national networks’ influence over local broadcasting, calling for greater broadcaster accountability.
Jimmy Kimmel Axing Triggers Intense Criticism
The decision ignited outrage across Hollywood and Capitol Hill. Critics called it censorship and a direct attack on free speech.
Actor Ben Stiller, comedian Wanda Sykes, actress Sophia Bush and MSNBC’s Chris Hayes all condemned the blackout, with Hayes calling it “the most straightforward attack on free speech from state actors I’ve ever seen in my life and it’s not even close.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Senator Chris Murphy also blasted the move, accusing the Trump administration and GOP leaders of using Kirk’s death as a tool to silence dissent.
Online, the reaction was no less intense. Supporters of Kimmel and free expression called the blackout “pathetic,” “fascism,” and said “the First Amendment doesn’t exist in America anymore.”
Others compared the move to broader cancel culture trends, pointing to similar removals of journalists and academics who criticized Kirk or the right.
Despite the uproar, Kimmel has yet to make a public statement. A network spokesperson confirmed the show is “preempted indefinitely” while internal discussions continue.
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