(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Nexstar and Sinclair, the parent companies of several ABC affiliates, have lifted their suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! — but not before shutting down unsubstantiated claims that the move was driven by the Trump administration.
Both companies said in separate statements that their decision to preempt the show was made independently of one another and in direct response to Kimmel’s sickening comments about Charlie Kirk’s death.
“To be clear, our commitment to those principles has guided our decisions throughout this process, independent of any external influence from government agencies or individuals,” Nexstar said Friday.
Meanwhile, Sinclair added Thursday: “Our decision to preempt this program was independent of any government interaction or influence. Free speech provides broadcasters with the right to exercise judgment as to the content on their local stations.”
These remarks directly debunked legacy media and Democratic Party claims that the suspension followed pressure from Brendan Carr, the Trump-appointed chair of the Federal Communications Commission.
Speaking on the Benny Johnson Show, Carr said, “We can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to change conduct and take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”
Carr clarified his remarks at a New York forum on Sept. 20, saying that “Jimmy Kimmel is in the situation that he is in because of his ratings, not because of anything that’s happened at the federal government level.”
His comments came after Kimmel, a self-described comedian, accused “the MAGA gang” on Sept. 15 of “desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”
Those remarks, first uncovered by the Media Research Center, sparked widespread criticism, prompting Sinclair and Nexstar to suspend the program. Disney, ABC’s parent company, followed suit and suspended the show entirely.
Jimmy Kimmel claims "We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it" and "This is not how an adult… pic.twitter.com/KMhnskaYWD
— Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) September 16, 2025
