A recent Rolling Stone report stated that ABC and Disney executives did not believe that Jimmy Kimmel had crossed the line in his Monday monologue about Charlie Kirk's assassination but decided to suspend his show anyway for fear of retaliation from the Trump administration.Kimmel's late-night talk show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, which ran for over two decades, was suspended indefinitely after he insinuated that Tyler Robinson, Kirk's alleged shooter, might have been pro-Republican. In the episode, which aired on September 15, 2025, the television host and comedian criticized the "MAGA gang" for using Robinson's political affiliations to “score political points,” saying:“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang 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."Kimmel's remarks drew the ire of several Republicans, with Federal Communications Commission chairman Brendan Carr calling for licensed broadcasters to pull the plug on his show during a podcast appearance on September 17. Following this, Nexstar Media announced its decision to "preempt Jimmy Kimmel Live! for the foreseeable future beginning with tonight’s show."Shortly after, an ABC spokesperson also confirmed that the network decided to suspend production on Kimmel's show indefinitely. According to a Rolling Stone report dated September 17, two sources told the publication that senior executives from ABC, its parent company Disney, and other affiliates held emergency meetings to discuss how to minimize the damage and respond to the backlash.The sources stated that the high-ups believed Kimmel's comments were not over the line, but they remained fearful about President Donald Trump and his administration, with one ABC insider saying:“They were pissing themselves all day."Jimmy Kimmel's Friday slot to be replaced with a Charlie Kirk tributeMedia conglomerate Sinclair Broadcast Group has announced that it would telecast a special to honor Charlie Kirk in place of Jimmy Kimmel's September 19 timeslot, offering the same to all ABC affiliates across the United States.According to USA Today, Sinclair's Vice Chairman Jason Smith stated that Kimmel's remarks were "inappropriate and deeply insensitive," adding:“Mr. Kimmel’s remarks were inappropriate and deeply insensitive at a critical moment for our country. We believe broadcasters have a responsibility to educate and elevate respectful, constructive dialogue in our communities. We appreciate FCC Chairman Carr’s remarks today and this incident highlights the critical need for the FCC to take immediate regulatory action to address control held over local broadcasters by the big national networks.”Additionally, Sinclair has called for Jimmy Kimmel to apologize to Kirk's family and make a donation to both his family and his nonprofit conservative organization, Turning Point USA.Furthermore, the media giant avowed to "not lift the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! on our stations until formal discussions are held with ABC regarding the network’s commitment to professionalism and accountability."Pop Base @PopBaseLINKSinclair Broadcast Group says ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ will not return until “appropriate steps have been taken to uphold the standards expected of a national broadcast platform.” They also call on Jimmy Kimmel to issue a public apology and make a donation to Charlie Kirk’s family and Turning Point USA.Meanwhile, President Donald Trump celebrated the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, dubbing it "Great News for America" in a Truth Social post. He also urged NBC to cancel Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers' shows, calling them "two total losers, on Fake News NBC."Jimmy Kimmel has been vocally critical of Trump on his late-night show. Following Charlie Kirk's shooting on September 10, the television host criticized the president for blaming Democrats for "their rhetoric" instead of attempting to unify the nation, saying:“With all these terrible things happening, you would think that our president would at least make an attempt to bring us together, but he didn’t. President Obama did. President Biden did. Presidents Bush and Clinton did. President Trump did not. Instead, he blamed Democrats for their rhetoric."The White House @WhiteHouseLINK"Great News for America: The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED. Congratulations to @ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done..." - President Donald J. TrumpThe suspension of Jimmy Kimmel's show has sparked a debate about censorship and the right to freedom of speech in the United States in the aftermath of Charlie Kirk's assassination. Kimmel is not the only person to face repercussions for speaking out about Kirk's shooting.According to CBS News, several airline workers, teachers, professors, healthcare professionals, and office workers have been suspended or fired from their jobs for commenting about Kirk's death on social media.Additionally, Vice President JD Vance encouraged people to call out others "celebrating" Kirk's death on social media and report them to their employers when he guest-hosted Kirk's namesake show on September 15, 2025.