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Oops, looks like the left is starting to answer for their sins, and it’s not pretty!

Get this. On Wednesday, September 17, 2025, ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, announced that it was pulling its late-night show Jimmy Kimmel Live! off the air “indefinitely” (code talk for bye-bye) following controversial remarks by host Jimmy Kimmel about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The decision has sparked a firestorm of reactions, highlighting tensions over free speech, media responsibility, and political polarization.

Kimmel’s remarks and the backlash are still ringing across TV land and beyond! Yikes! The controversy stems from Kimmel’s opening monologue on Monday’s episode, where he discussed the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk at a Utah university. Kimmel suggested that the accused, Tyler Robinson, was aligned with President Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, stating,

“The MAGA Gang is desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.” He added, “In between the finger-pointing, there was grieving.”

These comments drew immediate criticism, with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr calling them “truly sick” during an interview with conservative podcaster Benny Johnson. Carr suggested that ABC’s broadcast license could be at risk, stating, “They have a license granted by us at the FCC, and that comes with it an obligation to operate in the public interest.” He warned Disney and ABC that they could face consequences if they did not address Kimmel’s remarks, saying, “We can do this the easy way or the hard way.”

ABC’s response was fast and crisp. Hours after Carr’s statements, ABC announced that Jimmy Kimmel Live! would be preempted indefinitely. A person familiar with the situation told CNBC that Kimmel has not been fired, and Disney plans to discuss with him what he should say upon returning to air. However, no timeline for the show’s return was provided.

Adding to the pressure, Nexstar Media Group, which operates ABC-affiliated stations and is seeking FCC approval for a $6.2 billion merger with Tegna, declared that its stations would preempt Kimmel’s show “for the foreseeable future.” Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar’s broadcasting division, called Kimmel’s comments “offensive and insensitive” and argued that continuing to air the show was “not in the public interest at the current time.” Alford emphasized the need for “respectful, constructive dialogue” in the wake of Kirk’s death.

Carr praised Nexstar’s decision in a post on X, writing, “I want to thank Nexstar for doing the right thing. Local broadcasters have an obligation to serve the public interest.” He urged other broadcasters to follow suit, framing the preemption as a stand against programming that “falls short of community values.”

Political reactions are pouring in.Trump and Schumer weighed in and didn’t mince their words. The decision to pull Kimmel’s show elicited sharply divided reactions. President Donald Trump celebrated the move in a Truth Social post, calling it “Great News for America” and describing Kimmel as having “ZERO talent” and worse ratings than Stephen Colbert. Trump also called for NBC to cancel The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers, labeling their hosts “total losers.” The White House’s rapid-response account on X echoed Trump’s sentiment, tweeting, “Jimmy is a sick freak!” and claiming ABC was “doing their viewers a favor.”

Steve Eichler in today’s interview said, “America has a fallen hero whose life was taken by a coward’s bullet, and all the left can do is poke fun at the grieving family and fellow citizens—shameful.”

You might know that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) condemned ABC’s decision, framing it as an attack on free speech. “America is meant to be a bastion of free speech,” Schumer tweeted. “Everybody across the political spectrum should be speaking out to stop what’s happening to Jimmy Kimmel. This is about protecting democracy.”

Kimmel’s situation is not an isolated incident. The killing of Charlie Kirk has sparked intense debate, with other media figures facing consequences for their comments. MSNBC fired political analyst Matthew Dowd after he suggested that “hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions” in relation to Kirk’s death. Similarly, The Washington Post dismissed opinion columnist Karen Attiah for highlighting “racial double standards” in social media reactions to the killing.

These incidents underscore the heightened scrutiny faced by media personalities when addressing politically charged events. The rapid response from networks and the FCC suggests a growing tension between free expression and the perceived need to align with public or political expectations.

Disney is trying to have a broader context and did address this issue. The controversy comes at a time when Disney is preparing for its high-profile Disney Advertising Upfront event on May 13, 2025, at North Javits in New York City. The event aims to showcase Disney’s storytelling prowess and promote its upcoming projects. The decision to pull Jimmy Kimmel Live! could cast a shadow over the event, raising questions about how Disney navigates its role as a media conglomerate amid political and regulatory pressures.

What’s next for Kimmel? ABC may have inadvertently opened a can of worms, and the worms are not happy!

While ABC has not provided details on when or if Jimmy Kimmel Live! will return, the situation remains fluid. Disney’s planned discussions with Kimmel suggest an intent to address the controversy and potentially chart a path forward. However, the involvement of the FCC, Nexstar’s preemption, and the polarized political reactions indicate that the issue is far from resolved.

Final Word: Freedom demands responsibility, and it’s about time the media faced the repercussions of their actions and took full responsibility for their freedom of speech.

Source: www.cnbc.com/2025/09/17/charlie-kirk-jimmy-kimmel-abc-disney.html