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Trump – who is in the UK on a state visit – cheered ABC’s move on his social media site Truth Social, saying Kimmel had “ZERO talent” and describing it as “great news for America”.
“Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done,” he posted.
He also took aim at two other late-night hosts, Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers, saying they should be cancelled too, calling them “two total losers”.
While hosting Kirk’s podcast, Vance said people celebrating his killing should be held accountable. “Call them out, and hell, call their employer,” he said, before adding: “We don’t believe in political violence, but we do believe in civility.”
Pilots, health workers, teachers and a Secret Service employee were among those who had been suspended or sacked for social media posts about Kirk’s death, the BBC reported.
‘The sickest conduct possible’
Earlier on Wednesday, the regulating Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chair, Brendan Carr, urged local broadcasters to stop airing the show on the Walt Disney-owned ABC.
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CNN reported that Carr told right-wing podcaster Benny Johnson that Kimmel’s remarks constituted “the sickest conduct possible” and suggested the FCC could move to revoke ABC affiliate licences to force Disney to punish the late-night host, who has been a vocal critic of Trump.
“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr said. “These companies can find ways to change conduct and take actions on Kimmel, or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.
“This is a very, very serious issue right now for Disney. They have a licence granted by us at the FCC, and that comes with an obligation to operate in the public interest.”
FCC chairman Brendan Carr.Credit: The New York Times
Elsewhere in the interview, Carr attacked Kimmel as “talentless” and suggested the comedian’s comments displayed “some sort of desperate irrelevance”, CNN reported.
In a post on X, Carr thanked Nexstar for making its decision. “While this may be an unprecedented decision, it is important for broadcasters to push back on Disney programming that they determine falls short of community values. I hope that other broadcasters follow Nexstar’s lead.”
The suspension started with Wednesday night’s broadcast (US time), Disney said in a statement. ABC has aired Kimmel’s late-night show since 2003.
FCC commissioner Anna Gomez – the FCC’s only Democratic Party member – criticised Carr and accused the administration of attempting to “suppress lawful expression”, while other leading Democrats also spoke out.
The Jimmy Kimmel Live! studio on Hollywood Boulevard on Wednesday.Credit: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP
Democratic senator Ed Markey defended Kimmel, labelling the move as “censorship in action”.
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii also weighed in, with Pritzker on X condemning “an attack on free speech” and Schatz accusing the government of “using regulatory leverage to crush speech”.
On X on Wednesday night (US time), White House deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich posted: “Welcome to Consequence Culture. Normal, common-sense Americans are no longer taking the bullshit, and companies like ABC are finally willing to do the right and reasonable thing.”
A spokesperson for Kimmel, who, like CBS late-night host Stephen Colbert, has consistently been critical of Trump and many of his policies on his ABC show, did not immediately return a call for comment.
CBS in July said it was cancelling The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at the end of this season for financial reasons, although some critics have wondered if his stance on Trump played a role.
After Colbert’s dismissal, Trump said: “Next up will be an even less talented Jimmy Kimmel.”
Kimmel’s contract with ABC is set to expire at the end of next season, which ends in May 2026. There has been speculation about whether it would be renewed, particularly after the Colbert decision, the Washington Post reported.
