On Thursday, former President Trump asserted that late-night host Jimmy Kimmel had received poor reviews, which, he implied, led to the airing of his show being suspended.
During a joint press conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, a reporter from ITV mentioned Trump’s alleged “attacks in the UK or America,” referencing ABC’s indefinite halt of Kimmel’s show.
Trump stated, “Well, Jimmy Kimmel was let go due to having the worst reviews of all and for making some terrible comments about the respectable Charlie Kirk.” He continued, “I think he isn’t a particularly talented individual. His reviews were bad. They should’ve let him go a long time ago. So, can we call this free speech? He was dismissed for lack of skill.”
On Wednesday, ABC declared that Kimmel’s late-night program would be off the air indefinitely, a decision tied to conservative backlash following the murder of Charlie Kirk, co-founder of Turning Point USA.
Earlier that day, FCC Chair Brendan Kerr suggested potential agency action against ABC over Kimmel’s statements. Supporters of Trump accused Kimmel’s critics of trying to misrepresent the youth responsible for Kirk’s death.
Before the ABC announcement, Nexstar Media Group had indicated that its affiliate stations would preempt “Jimmy Kimmel Live” due to his remarks. Nexstar is also in the process of acquiring competitor Tegna, which requires FCC approval.
Nexstar, the largest local news provider in the country, operates numerous stations and owns News Nation and the CW network.
Trump has been vocal against Kimmel and other late-night hosts for several years. He previously praised CBS’s choice to cancel “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and suggested that Kimmel and late-night NBC hosts should face similar fates.
In response to Trump’s comments, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer remarked, “It seems that Trump and his supporters want to silence opinions they don’t agree with. That’s not what a democracy stands for; it’s very dictatorial.”
