Disney on Wednesday sidelined Jimmy Kimmel «indefinitely» on the heels of controversial comments the late-night host made about the assassination of conservative icon Charlie Kirk.
ABC’s decision to pull «Jimmy Kimmel Live!» off the air this week prompted celebration from some conservatives while others expressed caution about free speech and government overreach.
Disney on Wednesday sidelined Jimmy Kimmel «indefinitely» on the heels of controversial comments the late-night host made about the assassination of conservative icon Charlie Kirk. The move came as Disney faced mounting pressure from ABC affiliate stations around the country, as well as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
Some have accused the network of caving to the Trump administration and waving the white flag in the battle over free speech. Others, however, believe Kimmel had it coming.
«Cancel culture? No. Consequence culture», OutKick’s Riley Gaines wrote on X.
On Monday, Kimmel accused conservatives of reaching «new lows» in trying to pin a left-wing ideology on 22-year-old suspect Tyler Robinson, even though prosecutors reaffirmed those ties in Tuesday’s indictment.
«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.
Podcaster Stephen L. Miller believes that Kimmel «spread a false and verifiable lie and the network and Disney rightfully freaked out about it», while The Free Press’ Eli Lake feels there are a pair of issues playing out.
Lake wrote, «Let’s separate two things. Jimmy Kimmel is an unfunny mediocrity and his take on Charlie Kirk was tasteless, stupid and factually vacant. At the same time the chairman of the FCC should not be programming late night television. That’s a violation of the First Amendment.»
Lake is among many who believe the government should stay away from such matters.
«I think Jimmy Kimmel is an enormous jerk whom ABC should have yanked off the air of their own will. But Brendan Carr has made that impossible.
