Times are scary for late-night talk shows in America. After Stephen Colbert’s show was pulled off air following a settlement between Donald Trump and Paramount Global, now it’s Jimmy Kimmel’s turn.
Ahead of ABC’s announcement of the suspension of Kimmel’s show, broadcasters Nexstar and Sinclair confirmed that their affiliated stations would not be airing his show. Though Kimmel has not yet commented on the move, this decision was a direct result of his comments on the show after Charlie Kirk’s shooting.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee, had made it very clear that the network would face consequences if no action was taken against Kimmel, which led to the cancellation. Carr said that Kimmel’s comments on Kirk were misleading and sickening.
Kimmel had, however, not so much focused on commenting on Kirk and his death as he did on Trump and his way of handling the whole situation. He had mentioned that Kirk’s killing was a “senseless murder” and also criticized Trump for blaming the whole incident on the “radical left”.
Kimmel talked about Kirk’s murder on both Monday and Tuesday and emphasized that the MAGA supporters are ‘working very hard to capitalize on the murder of Charlie Kirk.’
He also made comments on Tyler Robinson, the young man who shot Kirk. Kimmel said on Monday, “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 further added, “In between the finger-pointing, there was grieving.” He also talked about Trump’s response to Kirk’s murder, saying, “[This] is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he called a friend. This is how a 4-year-old mourns a goldfish, OK?”
Moreover, he also criticized FBI chief Kash Patel, who, according to Kimmel, was leading the investigation ‘like a kid who didn’t read the book, bluffing his way through an oral report.’
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These comments naturally did not sit well with Trump or his fans, which eventually led to ABC’s decision of pulling the show off air. With the cancellation of these shows directly impacting the freedom of speech, which is a right of citizens in every democratic country, long-term Trump criticizer Rosie O’Donnell has come forward again to bash the President and his fascist way of leading America.
Following the cancellation of Kimmel’s show, Rosie O’Donnell responded on social media, posting, “This is unacceptable,” she wrote on Instagram. “F— this fascist administration and corrupt corporate executives, bowing to the orange monster. America is no more.”
She had also bashed Trump when Colbert’s show was canceled back in July. Rosie had posted, “Hey, tangerine Trump. First you said I should be stripped of my citizenship. Now you’re publicly celebrating that Stephen Colbert lost his job. You’ve never understood the role of comedy, or the role of truth.”
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She further added, “You think silencing a comedian means you’ve won something. You haven’t. Stephen stood up to you, like so many of us have. Not because it was easy, but because it was necessary. He told the truth with wit and courage, night after night, while you used your platform to spread fear, lies, and hate.”
Her words continued, “You demand blind loyalty,” she wrote. “But America doesn’t work like that. We question power here. We laugh at bullies. And we speak out, it leaves you undone.”
Rosie’s criticism of Trump following Kimmel’s show’s cancellation drew support from users as one commented, “This is unbelievable, a hugely frightening development.” Another one added, “Free speech is also gone. I’m feeling so sorry for you, people.”
The cancellation of Jimmy Kimmel is a story of corrupt corporate surrender.
Sinclair Broadcasting (@WeAreSinclair) is groveling to Trump because they need his administration to approve a merger.
They sacrificed free speech for profit. pic.twitter.com/y9NSXDuxfK
— Adam Mocker🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@adammocklerr) September 18, 2025
With networks bowing down to Trump’s pressure and silencing voices that speak up against the MAGA movement and its leader, it now remains to be seen how far Trump would go to ensure no one dares to oppose his views or his politics.
