Former late-night television host David Letterman has blasted ABC for suspending Jimmy Kimmel following his remarks about Charlie Kirk earlier this week.
On Wednesday, Sept. 17, ABC yanked Jimmy Kimmel Live! from the airwaves “indefinitely,” just hours after the FCC chief hinted the network’s broadcast license could be at risk due to Kimmel’s comments during Monday night’s opening monologue.
Speaking at the Atlantic Festival on Thursday, Sept. 18, the ex-Late Show presenter, who recently criticized CBS for their “cowardice” in canceling Stephen Colbert, voiced his outrage over ABC’s move to axe Jimmy Kimmel Live!, blasting them for “sucking up to a criminal administration.”
“This is a misery,” Letterman declared.
“In the world of somebody who is an authoritarian, maybe a dictatorship, sooner or later, everyone is going to be touched.”
“The institution of the president of the United States ought to be bigger than a guy doing a talk show,” he stated, before noting that the situation “would be hilarious if it wasn’t all leading to something from which we won’t recover.”
Letterman also revealed he has messaged Kimmel, who he jokingly described as “sitting up in bed taking nourishment” and is “going to be fine.”
During his comments on Monday’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Kimmel implied that Tyler Robinson, the individual charged with fatally shooting Kirk at his Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University on September 10, was “one of” President Donald Trump‘s MAGA – Make America Great Again – supporters.
“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 declared, before adding, “In between the finger-pointing, there was grieving.
“Jimmy Kimmel Live will be pre-empted indefinitely,” an ABC spokesman declared Wednesday night. The announcement followed Nexstar Media Group’s statement that its company-owned and “partner television stations affiliated with the ABC Television Network will preempt Jimmy Kimmel Live! for the foreseeable future, beginning with tonight’s show.”
Earlier that day, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr called Kimmel’s remarks “truly sick,” and noted that networks require an FCC-granted license to broadcast. He stated there was a “strong case” for taking action against ABC and Disney.
During an appearance on Benny Johnson’s podcast on Sept. 17, Carr declared, “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 further mentioned that “you could certainly see a path forward for suspension over this” and indicated the FCC has “remedies that we could look at.”
Following Carr’s remarks, Nexstar Media Group Inc. announced it would cease broadcasting Kimmel’s program on its ABC affiliates due to his “offensive and insensitive” comments.
ABC’s suspension was revealed shortly thereafter.
President Donald Trump weighed in on the matter, posting on Truth Social, “Great News for America: The ratings-challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED. Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done.
“Kimmel has ZERO talent, and worse ratings than even Colbert, if that’s possible. That leaves Jimmy and Seth, two total losers, on Fake News NBC. Their ratings are also horrible. Do it, NBC!!! President DJT.”
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.the-express.com ’
