ABC in the United States indefinitely suspended the broadcast of its flagship talk show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, taking issue with host Kimmel's remarks related to the Charlie Kirk assassination case.
According to the Associated Press and others on the 17th (local time), an ABC Spokesperson under the Walt Disney Company (Disney) said, "Jimmy Kimmel Live will be indefinitely replaced (with another program)." The decision came shortly after Nexstar Media Group, a U.S. group of local broadcasters, announced that it would not air Jimmy Kimmel Live! indefinitely on all of its ABC-affiliated networks.
On the 15th broadcast, Kimmel said, "We hit a new low as the MAGA forces desperately try to define this kid who killed Charlie Kirk as something other than one of their own and do everything they can to extract political gain from it."
He also mocked a video of President Donald Trump's tribute remarks, saying, "This is how a 4-year-old mourns after losing a goldfish." Afterward, Brendan Carr, a Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), took issue with Kimmel's remarks and urged local broadcasters to stop airing the program, warning that the FCC could open an investigation.
On a podcast interview the same day with conservative commentator Benny Johnson, Carr said, "This is a very serious matter for Disney right now. Disney needs to understand that change is necessary." Local media speculated that President Trump's intent may have been reflected in Carr's threat. Kimmel has consistently criticized President Trump before.