President Donald Trump has sharply criticized late-night host Jimmy Kimmel in the wake of ABC’s decision to place Jimmy Kimmel Live! on indefinite hiatus. Trump says the move is justified by poor ratings and what he described as an offensive remark made by Kimmel about the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Kimmel’s controversial monologue, which aired Sept. 15, included criticism of the Trump administration’s reaction to Kirk’s assassination—mocking aspects of the response, including a White House ballroom development. Critics said the monologue politicized Kirk’s death. ABC’s show was pulled after affiliate pressure and complaints from conservatives.
Trump said, “Jimmy Kimmel is not a talented person. He had very bad ratings … they should have fired him a long time ago,” adding that Kimmel said “a horrible thing about a great gentleman known as Charlie Kirk.”
Some media outlets and free speech advocates are watching closely to see how this episode affects the boundary between comedy-and-criticism and what constitutes acceptable commentary about public figures, especially in politically charged contexts.