“Jimmy Kimmel stays, Trump must go!” protesters chanted outside the Hollywood Boulevard studio where Jimmy Kimmel Live! tapes.
Protesters rallied in support of host Jimmy Kimmel on Wednesday, Sept. 17, hours after news broke that his late-night show was suspended “indefinitely,” over comments Kimmel made about the death of right-wing political commentator Charlie Kirk.
Video streamed by The Daily Guardian on YouTube showed the group holding signs and speaking into a microphone about the show’s unplanned hiatus.
Related: ABC Pulls Jimmy Kimmel’s Show Over Charlie Kirk Comments
Kirk, 31, was fatally shot while speaking to students at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10.
Kimmel reacted on the Monday, Sept. 15, episode of his show with comments on the shooting, the arrest of a 22-year-old suspect, and President Trump’s statements about his friend’s death.
“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,” Kimmel said.
He joked about Trump’s response when asked by reporters how he was “holding up” after Kirk’s death. “I think very good, and by the way, you see all the trucks? They just started construction on the new ballroom for the White House,” Trump said.
Texas-based Nexstar Media Group, which owns dozens of ABC affiliates across the country, said it “strongly objects to recent comments made by Mr. Kimmel concerning the killing of Charlie Kirk and will replace the show with other programming in its ABC-affiliated markets.”
Nexstar announced in August it’s in the process of acquiring rival broadcast company Tegna for $6.2 billion. But Nexstar needs final approval from the Trump-controlled Federal Communications Commission for the mega-merger to go through.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr praised Nexstar on Wednesday in a statement on the X platform for “doing the right thing” and dropping Kimmel’s show.
“Local broadcasters have an obligation to serve the public interest. While this may be an unprecedented decision, it is important for broadcasters to push back on Disney programming that they determine falls short of community values,” Carr wrote on X, adding: “I hope that other broadcasters follow Nexstar’s lead.”
Former President Barack Obama criticized the Trump administration for trying to “muzzle” voices it doesn’t like.
“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 wrote in a statement on X.
Comedian Wanda Sykes, who was scheduled to appear on Kimmel Wednesday night, said Trump is focused on the wrong things.
“Let’s see. He didn’t end the Ukraine war or solve Gaza within his first week. But he did end freedom of speech within his first year. Hey, for those of you who pray, now’s the time to do it. Love you, Jimmy,” Sykes said in a video she posted on Instagram.
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