ABC Replaces Jimmy Kimmel Live With Charlie Kirk Tribute After Controversial Remarks; Trump Calls It “great news for America”

Published 09/18/2025, 1:21 AM EDT

In the volatile landscape of late-night television, where comedic monologues often serve as a barometer for the nation's political temperature, few moments have created a shockwave as intense as the recent controversy surrounding Jimmy Kimmel Live! The swift backlash from major media partners led to the show's indefinite suspension, a dramatic turn of events that escalated further with the unprecedented decision to replace the program's airtime with a tribute to the very subject of the host's contentious monologue.

This shocking development, however, was not the end of the story, as a major media conglomerate took decisive action to replace the controversial program's airtime with a special tribute.

A media conglomerate replaces Jimmy Kimmel Live! with a special

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The media conglomerate Sinclair announced it would be replacing the Jimmy Kimmel Live! timeslot with a special tribute to Charlie Kirk on its ABC affiliate stations. This special is being made available to all other ABC stations nationwide. The company also went a step further, demanding that Jimmy Kimmel issue a public apology to Kirk’s family and make a "meaningful personal donation" to them and to Turning Point USA, the organization Kirk founded.

The show, a staple of ABC's schedule for two decades, suddenly found itself at the epicenter of a political firestorm following host Jimmy Kimmel's remarks about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. This decisive action from Sinclair came on the heels of similar moves by another major affiliate owner, Nexstar Media Group. This coordinated pushback from powerful media distributors ultimately led ABC to suspend production on the show indefinitely, highlighting the growing power of affiliate stations to influence network programming.

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The decisive actions by these media conglomerates, which led to the show's suspension, quickly drew a powerful reaction from the highest levels of politics.

President Donald Trump reacts to the show's suspension

President Donald Trump weighed in on the controversy, celebrating ABC's decision to indefinitely suspend new episodes of the show. In a post on Truth Social, he applauded the network, stating it finally had "the courage to do what had to be done." He mocked Jimmy Kimmel, calling him "ratings challenged" and having "ZERO talent." Trump's post celebrated what he called the "cancellation" of the show as "Great News for America," showing his strong disapproval of the host's political humor.

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Continuing his online dose, Trump mocked Jimmy Kimmel's late-night colleague Stephen Colbert and other hosts. He called Kimmel and Seth Meyers "two total losers" on "Fake News NBC" and urged NBC to also suspend their shows due to what he claimed were horrible ratings. Trump's reaction escalated the situation from a media dispute into a partisan victory, framing the network's decision as a political triumph against perceived opposition in the media.

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What do you think, will this controversy change how late-night hosts address political issues in the future? Let us know in the comments below.

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Soma Mitra

347 articles

Soma is a journalist at Netflix Junkie. With a postgraduate degree in Mass Communication, she brings production experience from documentary films like Chandua: Stories on Fabric. Covering the true crime and docu-drama beat, she turns psychological thrillers into sharp, audience-aware storytelling.

Edited By: Aliza Siddiqui

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