ABC network announced Thursday it was pulling Jimmy Kimmel's long-running late-night series off the air in response to comments he made about Charlie Kirk's killing.

"Mr. Kimmel's comments about the death of Mr. Kirk are offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse, and we do not believe they reflect the spectrum of opinions, views, or values of the local communities in which we are located," said Nexstar Media Group, an owner of ABC TV affiliates.

The announcement comes after CBS network announced in July that it was canceling its most watched show in late night, "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert."

What has happened since Kirk's killing?

Kirk, a political activist with close ties to US President Donald Trump, was shot and killed at an outdoor event at Utah Valley University last week.

The man accused of killing Kirk has since been arrested and prosecutors have announced seven state charges, including aggravated murder, against him. They have also said they're going to seek the death penalty against the suspected killer.

Kirk is the founder of Turning Point USA and is widely credited with helping Trump take back the White House in 2024 by galvanizing conservative youth to vote for him. 

What did Jimmy Kimmel say about Charlie Kirk?

On Monday, Jimmy Kimmel spoke about the shooting in his popular late-night show, saying:

"We had some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA [Make America Great Again] gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and with everything they can to score political points from it." 

He went on to criticize Trump's mourning of Kirk, pointing to a video of Trump's comments on the White House lawn, saying: "This is how a 4-year-old mourns a goldfish." 

Before Thursday's announcement, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr called for local broadcasters to stop airing "Jimmy Kimmel Live" and suggested the commission could open an investigation.

He said broadcasters could potentially be fined or lose their licenses if there was a pattern of distorted comments. 

Trump says canceling Kimmel's show is 'great news'

US President Donald Trump, who has sparred with Kimmel in the past, called the decision "great news for America." 

"Great News for America: The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED," Trump wrote on his social media site, Truth Social. "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."

Trump's inconsistent approach to free speech

Tyson Barker, a nonresident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center, told DW the FTC chair's statement "definitely has a chilling effect on speech."

"Given the fact that so many of these media companies are currently in negotiation for mergers and acquisitions and want to stay on the good side of the president and his administration, they seem to be acting accordingly and somewhat disproportionately in chilling that speech."

While Trump celebrated Kimmel's removal, such a stance appears inconsistent with the tradition of free speech in the United States and contradictory to Trump's own professed views while campaigning in 2024, Barker told DW.

[Kimmel's comments have] been interpreted in different ways by different actors," Barker said. "But the bottom line is having that space for free speech, including speech that people disagree with, was actually one of the issues that President Trump and Vice President JD Vance ran on. So to see that the idea of free speech is selectively applied in the United States seems inconsistent with the message that they were trying to send to voters last year." 

Democrats decry Kimmel cancellation

Opposition Democrats have voiced outrage at what they describe as a growing attempt by the Trump administration to censor any media views it considers contrary to its point of view.

The only Democratic member of the FCC, Anna Gomez, said that under free speech laws, the body, an independent agency of the US government, should not be able to dictate to broadcasters what they can air.

"This administration is increasingly using the weight of government power to suppress lawful expression," she told broadcaster CNN.

California Governor Gavin Newsom, a vocal Trump critic, was also forthright about the administration's recent moves against the media.

"Buying and controlling media platforms. Firing commentators. Canceling shows. These aren't coincidences. It's coordinated. And it's dangerous," he wrote, adding:  "They are censoring you in real time."

Criticism from German union

From outside the US, Germany's main journalists' union, the DJV, has urged major US media companies to support journalists and defend freedom of the press and opinion after the cancellation of Kimmel's show.

"We are observing a rampant erosion of freedom of the press and freedom of expression in the US," DJV head Mika Beuster said in a statement on Thursday.

He said ABC was wrong in its decision, saying that "servility toward Trump will not bring them [media companies] peace, but will result in further pressure."

Media companies in the US have faced a string of reprimands and even lawsuits from Trump over any coverage he sees as negative toward him or his actions.

This week, for instance, he filed a $15 billion (€12.7 billion) defamation lawsuit against The New York Times and book publisher Penguin Random House, claiming they had treated him unfairly.

Edited by: Roshni Majumdar