CNN commentator Brian Stelter has claimed that the United States is a ‘less free place’ after ABC decided to pull Jimmy Kimmel’s show off the air ‘indefinitely.’
The network announced that the veteran host’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! will be taken off the air ‘for the foreseeable future’ following the 57-year-old’s comments about the shooting of Charlie Kirk.
‘This is so serious!’ a breathless Stelter exclaimed as he and other pundits discussed the announcement.
‘America is a less free place if late night comedians cannot do and say what they want,’ he said.
‘Of course they can be tuned out, people can change the channel,’ he continued. ‘That’s how we vote, that’s how we have our say in America.’
‘But this really does have a chilling effect across the American media – and it’s not just me saying it.’
Kimmel’s cancelation comes just two months after CBS announced it was canning the Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
Both networks had been facing a merger that would have to be approved by Federal Communications Chairman Brendan Carr.
For Colbert, the boot came just days after he lamented the network’s decision to settle a lawsuit with President Donald Trump amid a major merger between Paramount, the network’s parent company, and Skydance.
Kimmel’s ouster now comes following his incorrect statement about alleged gunman Tyler Robinson, whom authorities have said was motivated to kill Kirk over his stances on gay and transgender rights.
CNN commentator Brian Stelter claimed on Wednesday that the United States is a ‘less free place’ after ABC decided to pull Jimmy Kimmel’s show off the air ‘indefinitely’
Kimmel has been suspended by ABC over his divisive comments regarding the assassination of Charlie Kirk
The Democratic Party has also blasted Kimmel’s cancelation, accusing the FCC of ‘forcing their perceived critics off the airwaves.
‘This is a chilling attack on the freedom of speech our founders enshrined in the Constitution. This should alarm all Americans—regardless of political party.’
Kimmel’s comments about Robinson came during his Monday night monologue.
‘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,’ the host said.
The TV personality’s unproven suggestion that Robinson was a proponent of the MAGA movement caught instant flak from Federal Communications Commission boss Brendan Carr.
On Wednesday, Carr told conservative podcaster Benny Johnson he was considering an investigation into Kimmel and his network ABC over the jarring remarks.
‘When you look at the conduct that has taken place by Jimmy Kimmel, it appears to be some of the sickest conduct possible,’ Carr told Johnson as he faces an internal divide at the agency – which is leaving him and his former protege Nathan Simington trying to curry favor with President Donald Trump.
‘As you’ve indicated, there are avenues here for the FCC, so there… are some ways in which I need to be a little bit careful because we could be called ultimately to be a judge on some of these claims that come up,’ Carr said.
Kirk (pictured with his family) was a co-founder of the political nonprofit Turning Point USA
Soon after the Donald Trump ally (pictured), 31, was fatally shot in the neck on the Orem campus – in front of an audience of 3,000 horrified spectators – Kimmel reacted to his death online
In response to Kimmel’s remarks, Carr floated the idea of suspending the host – one of several prospective ‘remedies’ for the situation, he said.
At one point, Johnson asked Carr what kind of action he thought should be taken, proposing an on-air apology from Kimmel.
‘I think what you said there strikes me as a very reasonable, minimal step that can be taken,’ Carr replied.
He is now set to appear in his first interview following the bombshell news on Sean Hannity’s show on Fox News.
Kirk, 31, had been shot and killed at Utah Valley University on September 10 – in front of an audience of 3,000 horrified spectators – Kimmel reacted to his death online.
Shortly after the shooting, Kimmel wrote on social media: ‘Instead of the angry finger-pointing, can we just for one day agree that it is horrible and monstrous to shoot another human?’ Kimmel wrote.
‘On behalf of my family, we send love to the Kirks and to all the children, parents and innocents who fall victim to senseless gun violence.’
But he appeared to change his tune before his monologue on Monday.
Jimmy Kimmel Live! has been a network staple for more than 22 years.
Jimmy Kimmel Live! has been a staple of ABC for more than 22 years
Carr told podcaster Benny Johnson on Wednesday he was considering an investigation into Kimmel
‘Instead of the angry finger-pointing, can we just for one day agree that it is horrible and monstrous to shoot another human?’ the Jimmy Kimmel Live host wrote on Instagram
ABC’s decision to pull the show came shortly after its affiliate group, Nexstar, also announced it would stop airing it effective immediately.
‘Nexstar strongly objects to recent comments made by Mr. Kimmel concerning the killing of Charlie Kirk and will replace the show with other programming in its ABC-affiliated markets,’ the company wrote on Wednesday.
Nexstar’s broadcasting division President Andrew Alford blasted Kimmel’s comments as ‘offensive and insensitive.’
The largest station group in the country has a major merger proposal before the Trump administration – its proposed acquisition of Tegna – which must be approved by Carr.
If the merger were to go through, Nexstar would have 265 stations in 44 states and the District of Columbia, representing 80 percent of US television households, according to Deadline.
Stephen Colbert’s show had been canceled earlier in the year on CBS
Conservatives celebrated the news of Kimmel’s cancelation Wednesday night, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis saying it is a ‘rare example of accountability in legacy media.’
‘That ABC actually did something about Kimmel’s lies is surprising,’ he posted on X.
President Donald Trump also called the late night show’s cancelation ‘great news for America.’
‘Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done,’ he wrote on his Truth Social platform. ‘Kimmel has ZERO talent and worse ratings than even Colbert, if that’s possible.’
‘That leaves Jimmy [Fallon] and Seth [Meyers], two total losers on Fake News NBC,’ the president continued.
‘Their ratings are also horrible,’ he said, encouraging the network to fire those late night hosts as well.
In reaction to Nextstar’s move to axe Kimmel, both Johnson and Carr posted celebratory sentiments on X.
‘Great job @NXSTMediaGroup. Thank you for standing up for Charlie,’ Johnson wrote.
