(Ben Sellers, Headline USA) A massive decline in ratings was likely the true reason behind the recent “cancellation” of ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, despite Democrats’ disinformation campaign attempting to blame President Donald Trump.
The country disagrees. pic.twitter.com/EIVLxx3ANk
— Bad Salty Dog 🏴☠️ (@Badsaltydog) September 19, 2025
Leftists, including former President Barack Obama, offered up performative outrage over a perceived assault on First Amendment rights following Kimmel’s indefinite suspension on Wednesday.
The decision coincided with Kimmel’s crass remarks blaming “MAGA” supporters for the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The false claim caught the attention of Brendan Carr, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, who threatened consequences against network distributors over the harmful remarks.
Although the FCC action fell within the scope of its authority—and echoed many past examples of Democrats using government pressure to silence conservatives—the backlash quickly became a storyline unto itself, with leftist media using it to push Kirk’s death out of the news cycle.
Among those calling for boycotts of parent company Disney was one of its Marvel stars, She-Hulk actress Tatiana Maslany.
Former Disney CEO Michael Eisner also weighed in, clutching his pearls over the “out-of-control intimidation.” But other X users slammed him for his hypocrisy, pointing to Eisner’s own efforts to appease China following the release of Kundun, a 1997 Disney film about the Dalai Lama.
— EducatëdHillbilly™ (@RobProvince) September 19, 2025
Ironically, many conservatives also have boycotted the entertainment giant over prior instances of woke virtue-signaling and cancel culture—including its decision to fire Mandalorian actress Gina Carano.
“How dare Jimmy Kimmel be fired for lying and slandering people and getting terrible ratings! Boycott Disney!” say the people who celebrated Gina Carano being fired for mocking Democrats & criticizing Covid tyrants. #BoycottDisney pic.twitter.com/Y5bpBqbuJ1
— Jobu Cerrano (@BostonSportsHb) September 18, 2025
Rumors circulated on Saturday that Kimmel might be in discussions with corporate executives to resume his show following the pressure campaign.
Meanwhile, conservatives fired back, presenting evidence that Disney already had been considering pulling the plug on Kimmel due to a massive decline in ratings and viewership.
“Jimmy Kimmel was fired because he had bad ratings more than anything else,” Trump told reporters on Thursday, according to Fox News.
Further analysis suggested that Kimmel’s viewership over the past 10 years had fallen 37%—from 2.4 million in 2015 to 1.6 million in 2025—a net loss of around 800,000.
The loss was most noticeable in key demographics of adults under 50, where reports put Kimmel’s viewership as low as 129,000 in August.
HOLY SHIT
Kimmel was ONLY Getting 129,000 Viewers
hahahahah
I can post a picture of a cat and get more views than that pic.twitter.com/gUd3sUgwa7
— Tim Pool (@Timcast) September 19, 2025
Fox reported the average viewership in the demo to be 177,000.
Kimmel’s abysmal ratings in a prime slot on a major network nonetheless put him below niche late-night shows such as the E! network’s “Chelsea Lately” and CBS’s “The Arsenio Hall Show.”
The downward trend comes as other major-network shows in the time slot have faced similar declines, including Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show on NBC and the CBS show hosted by Stephen Colbert.
We live in a capitalist system. Disney was selling an entertainment product. Disney’s employee, Jimmy Kimmel, lied to his audience blatantly and disgustingly. He wasn’t canceled by a right wing mob—he was fired by his customers as a consequence for his lies and lousy ratings. pic.twitter.com/5RCz1YMjzh
— Angus Davis (@angusdav) September 18, 2025
Colbert announced that he was being cancelled earlier this year—a decision likewise credited both to his low ratings and possible pressure from the Trump administration.
Critics have blamed the hosts’ decisions to go woke, leading to the emergence of more conservative-friendly alternatives like Greg Gutfeld’s industry-dominating late-night show on Fox News.
Ben Sellers is a freelance writer and former editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/realbensellers.
