ABC pulls Jimmy Kimmel’s show ‘indefinitely’ after threat from Trump’s FCC chair
Update (2:00 PM): Vice President JD Vance took to X today to jokingly name U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio the new host of ABC's late night show.
"Everyone please congratulate @marcorubio, the new host of ABC's late night show!" Vance posted on the social media site.
Update (1:48 PM): President Donald Trump is doubling down on his criticism of Jimmy Kimmel, saying the late-night ABC talk show host is not talented.
Trump made the comment during a visit with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London Thursday.
"Well, 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, and Jimmy Kimmel is not a talented person," President 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."
Kimmel was indefinitely pulled off the air Wednesday after he claimed that the Trump Administration, right-wing media and the MAGA movement were trying to manipulate Charlie Kirk's alleged killer's motivations for political gain.
Disney’s ABC is pulling Jimmy Kimmel’s show off the air indefinitely. The decision comes amid a controversy over his recent comments about Charlie Kirk’s suspected killer.
“Jimmy Kimmel Live will be pre-empted indefinitely,” an ABC spokesperson said, declining to share any further details.
KVIA has no control over the decision made by Disney which owns ABC.
We are not owned by Disney -- we are an ABC affiliate that has a separate ownership group – News-Press & Gazette.
We don't control the content they provide or choose to discontinue.
To voice an opinion on the decision to remove Jimmy Kimmel's show from the air, contact ABC here. You can also call (818) 460-7477.
Several political leaders are speaking out on the decision. Senator Ben Ray Luján, who represents New Mexico, has released a statement about Jimmy Kimmel's show being indefinitely taken off the air. Luján is a ranking member of the Telecommunications and Media Subcommittee. Read his full statement below:
“President Trump and FCC Chair Carr made it clear: fall in line or be silenced. And it’s not just late night TV. This administration is silencing free speech, targeting universities and companies, and abusing their power to shut down opposing views and limit Americans’ access to information.”
Senator Ben Ray Luján
Congresswoman Veronica Escobar, who represents El Paso, also released a statement. Read Escobar's statement in full below:
"“The unprecedented use of the power of the federal government to silence anyone President Donald Trump disagrees with or dislikes should alarm every American.
The reason Jimmy Kimmel was indefinitely removed by ABC is because of FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s threat to the network to ‘do this the easy way or the hard way.’
Carr, who wrote the FCC chapter for Project 2025, is using his position to silence speech he disagrees with and degrade the first amendment, which guarantees and protects free speech.
Donald Trump has led the charge to defund PBS, and just weeks ago, he attacked ABC and NBC. He has notably left other networks like Fox News, OANN, and Newsmax completely unscathed – likely because they are owned by his allies and have eagerly done his bidding.
This attack on free speech is anti-American, a violation of our constitution, and another example of the chilling and shocking rise of authoritarianism in America.”
