Jimmy Kimmel Live! has been pulled from late-night lineups “for the foreseeable future” across many ABC affiliate markets, a move that sparked immediate backlash—and a cheer from Donald Trump overseas. ABC confirmed the preemption began Wednesday, and Nexstar Media Group, which owns and operates numerous ABC affiliates, said its stations would replace Kimmel’s show after objecting to remarks he made about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
On Monday’s episode, Kimmel criticized attempts to spin the shooter’s motives and mocked the decision to lower flags for Kirk, adding a jab at Trump’s public reaction. The comments drew sharp rebukes, including from FCC Chair Brendan Carr, who warned ABC affiliates could face fines or license reviews if they continued airing content he framed as “a pattern of news distortion.” Nexstar followed by announcing its ABC stations would drop the show for now.
Trump—currently in the UK on a state visit—welcomed the development. Posting on Truth Social, he called Kimmel “ratings challenged” and “untalented,” urging NBC to dump other late-night hosts as well. It’s not the first time Trump has targeted Kimmel, but his victory-lap tone added fuel to an already charged media fight.
Behind the scenes, Kimmel had reportedly planned to address the uproar on Wednesday’s show, clarifying that his remarks were being taken out of context while stopping short of an apology. The on-air response never happened once the preemptions kicked in.
The fallout leaves affiliates—and viewers—staring at a complicated standoff. Nexstar says it will keep substituting other programming in place of Kimmel; ABC hasn’t indicated when or whether regular carriage will resume in those markets. For now, the show’s future on many local ABC stations remains uncertain, and the broader debate over what late-night can say—and at what cost—continues.
