Late-night hosts, from Jon Stewart to Stephen Colbert to Jimmy Fallon, all used their shows on Thursday night to address ABC’s suspension of Jimmy Kimmel after the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” host’s comments about Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot last week. The late-night hosts stood behind Kimmel — Fox News’ Greg Gutfeld, however, was a noticeable exception.
“We have another fun, hilarious, administration-compliant show,” joked Stewart, the part-time host of Comedy Central's “The Daily Show.”
“Tonight, we are all Jimmy Kimmel,” Colbert said in his opening monologue. “After threats from Trump’s FCC chair [Brendan Carr], ABC yanked Kimmel off the air indefinitely. That is blatant censorship.”
“With an autocrat, you cannot give an inch,” the host of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” added. In July, CBS announced it will end Colbert’s show in May 2026. The announcement of Colbert’s cancellation caused backlash, with many people suspecting political motivations as well.
“I don’t know what’s going on, and no one does, but I do know Jimmy Kimmel, and he’s a decent, funny, and loving guy, and I hope he comes back,” said Fallon, host of NBC’s “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”
“A lot of people are worried that we won’t keep saying what we want to say, or that we’ll be censored, but I’m going to cover the president’s trip to the U.K. just like I normally would,” Fallon continued.
“Well, guys, President Trump just wrapped up his three-day trip to the U.K. and he —,” Fallon began before a dubbed-over voice interjected, “looked incredibly handsome.”
“If you’ve ever seen me say anything negative about [Trump], that’s just AI,” Seth Meyers, host of NBC’s “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” joked. Meyers’ roast of Donald Trump at the 2011 White House Correspondents' Dinner has become a notable moment in political and media history, as some cite it as a possible catalyst for Trump ultimately running for president.
Gutfeld, host of Fox News’ evening talk show “Gutfeld!,” was a notable exception to the onslaught of support for Kimmel and condemnation of Trump, ABC, and the FCC.
“You do have a right to be wrong, but your boss also has a right to suspend you,” Gutfeld said. “And Jimmy meant to mislead his viewers at the worst possible time to do it.”
“But Kimmel’s not being censored. He can still tell jokes and malign Charlie and lie about his killer. He just needs to find another place to do it,” Gutfeld continued. “I hear Gaza is nice this time of year.”
