Kimmel Escalates Fight With President Trump as ABC Affiliates Refuse to Air His Show

Jimmy Kimmel’s controversial return to late-night television has only deepened the backlash against him and the network that brought him back on air. After serving a suspension for remarks that touched off a nationwide debate over free speech and media responsibility, Kimmel used his second night back on ABC to deliver a lengthy tirade against President Donald Trump.

Kimmel claimed that his critics wanted him “yanked off the air” for mocking President Trump. That assertion rings hollow, given the endless stream of comedians who ridicule the president without consequence. What set Kimmel apart was his decision to spread a dangerous hoax suggesting that a supporter of the “MAGA gang” was behind the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk—an attack later tied to a radical leftist named Tyler Robinson, according to investigators.

Disney’s official statement said Kimmel was suspended for “insensitive” comments during a period of heightened national tensions. Yet this framing glosses over the fact that he advanced a baseless narrative about conservatives, weaponizing tragedy to score political points.

Trump Fires Back

President Trump blasted the network’s decision to reinstate Kimmel. “I can’t believe ABC Fake News gave Jimmy Kimmel his job back,” the president wrote on Truth Social. Kimmel shot back on air: “You can’t believe they gave me my job back? I can’t believe we gave you your job back!”

Trump didn’t mince words, accusing Kimmel of endangering ABC by running “99% positive Democrat garbage” and warning of potential legal action, noting his earlier $16 million settlement with Paramount.

Kimmel tried to laugh off the threat: “Only Donald Trump would try to prove he wasn’t threatening ABC by threatening ABC.”

Affiliates Refuse to Back Down

Kimmel returned to television without an apology. He insisted he had not meant to downplay Kirk’s murder, calling the shooter “a deeply disturbed individual.” He admitted his words might have been “ill-timed or unclear” but rejected calls for a direct apology.

That refusal has put ABC in open conflict with its affiliates. Nexstar Media Group announced it would continue to pull Kimmel’s program from its schedule, while Sinclair Broadcast Group said it would keep replacing his show with news coverage unless Kimmel apologized to Erika Kirk—the widow of Charlie Kirk—and pledged donations to her family and Turning Point USA.

So far, Kimmel has refused. Together, Nexstar and Sinclair represent nearly one-quarter of ABC’s national reach, leaving millions of households unable to view the late-night program.

A Shifting Landscape for Late-Night TV

The Kimmel controversy underscores the turbulence facing late-night television. CBS already canceled Stephen Colbert’s Late Show earlier this year after President Trump prevailed in a defamation case. With ratings declining across the genre, many viewers now consume monologue clips online rather than tuning in live.

Kimmel’s contract with ABC reportedly runs through May of next year, but whether the show will survive the affiliate revolt remains to be seen. The standoff illustrates a growing divide between the corporate media elite and local broadcasters who still answer to their communities.