What did Jimmy Kimmel say to get pulled off the air? A quick explainer.

It was a stalwart of late-night talk shows for 23 seasons, but this week, US broadcaster ABC sensationally pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live! from air, announcing the show had been "indefinitely" suspended.

It comes after host Jimmy Kimmel made remarks about the assassination of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk, who was killed in Utah on 10 September 2025.

This is what Kimmel said to raise the ire of the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement.

Listen: Cancel culture comes for Jimmy Kimmel. Post continues below.

What did Jimmy Kimmel say?

During an evening monologue, Kimmel insinuated the suspect in Kirk's shooting, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, was affiliated with MAGA.

"We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterise 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 said.

Kimmel's monologue further accused "many in MAGA land" of trying to politicise the tragedy.

"In between the finger-pointing, there was grieving.

"This is not how an adult grieves the murder of somebody called a friend. This is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish."

Robinson's motives have not been made clear, nor have his political affiliations.

Watch: Moment Jimmy Kimmel makes Charlie Kirk comment. Post continues below.

How have people reacted — and what are they saying?

The comments sparked swift backlash from network affiliates, regulators, political figures and celebrities and has ignited fierce debate over free speech, media responsibility, and political pressure in broadcast journalism.

Hours before ABC announced the suspension, Brendan Carr, Trump-appointed chair of broadcast regulator, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), said Kimmel's comments constituted the "sickest conduct," and threatened to investigate him.

US President Donald Trump has also been vocal in his anger, stating Kimmel has "zero talent" and praising the cancellation.

"Great News for America: The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED," Trump wrote on his social network Truth Social.

"Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done. Kimmel has ZERO talent, and worse ratings than even Colbert, if that's possible. That leaves Jimmy and Seth, two total losers, on Fake News NBC. Their ratings are also horrible. Do it NBC!!! President DJT."

However, many Hollywood heavyweights have condemned the move and rallied behind Kimmel.

Iconic talk show host, David Letterman, talked at length about the cancellation at The Atlantic Festival 2025 in New York.

"This is misery," Letterman said. "We see where this is all going, correct? It's managed media. And it's no good. It's silly. It's ridiculous. And you can't go around firing somebody because you're fearful or trying to suck up to an authoritarian criminal administration in the Oval Office. That's just not how this works."

Actor and comedian Ben Stiller took to X and posted: "This isn't right."

From left to right: David Letterman, Ben Stiller and Sophia Bush. Image: Getty.

Jean Smart, star of Hacks, said she was "horrified at the cancellation of Jimmy Kimmel Live."

"People seem to only want to protect free speech when it suits THEIR agenda," Smart said, adding she was horrified by Kirk's shooting.

One Tree Hill actress and activist, Sophia Bush, also threw her support behind Kimmel.

"The First Amendment doesn't exist in America anymore," she wrote on X.

"Fascism is here and it's chilling."

Former President Barack Obama also condemned the suspension.

"After years of complaining about cancel culture, the current administration has taken it to a new and dangerous level by routinely threatening regulatory action against media companies unless they muzzle or fire reporters and commentators it doesn't like," Obama posted on social media.

"This is precisely the kind of government coercion that the First Amendment was designed to prevent — and media companies need to start standing up rather than capitulating to it."

What will happen next?

Kimmel has not yet commented on the suspension but has been photographed visiting a lawyer's office.

According to Bloomberg News, he will also meet with executives from Disney, the parent company of ABC, to discuss his show's future.

Sinclair, a broadcasting company that makes up the US' largest ABC affiliate group, has laid out a list of demands for Kimmel to meet before they lift the suspension on its ABC stations.

Amongst the demands, issued in a press release, it requires Kimmel to "issue a direct apology to the Kirk family" and to make "meaningful personal donation to the Kirk Family and Turning Point USA."

Kimmel's contract with ABC is up in May 2026.

This story continues to unfold. More to come.

Feature image: Getty.