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Kimmel told his audience that Kirk had been killed by “a MAGA conservative”—a statement that was quickly debunked. Authorities later confirmed the assassin was Tyler Robinson, a far-left extremist with radical pro-transgender views who had openly expressed hatred toward Kirk’s conservative politics.
Robinson reportedly lived with his transgender partner and had posted online that he would act if given the chance to “take out” Charlie Kirk.
Kimmel’s remarks sparked widespread backlash, leading ABC to temporarily suspend the late-night host. But on Monday, ABC announced that Jimmy Kimmel Live! would return—just six days after the suspension began.
That decision didn’t sit well with Sinclair Broadcast Group, which promptly announced Monday night that it would not carry Kimmel’s show on its ABC stations. By Tuesday morning, Nexstar followed suit, issuing a statement making its position crystal clear.
According to Fox News, Nexstar Media Group declared:
“We made a decision last week to preempt ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ following what ABC referred to as Mr. Kimmel’s ‘ill-timed and insensitive’ comments at a critical time in our national discourse. We stand by that decision pending assurance that all parties are committed to fostering an environment of respectful, constructive dialogue in the markets we serve.”
Nexstar added that their ABC stations will focus on content that better serves local communities rather than airing Jimmy Kimmel Live!
“In the meantime, we note that ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ will be available nationwide on multiple Disney-owned streaming products, while our stations will focus on continuing to produce local news and other programming relevant to their respective markets,” the company said.
For now, the standoff continues. ABC and Disney may have hoped the controversy would fade quickly, but with two of the nation’s largest broadcast groups refusing to air Kimmel’s show, the fallout appears far from over.
