It’s almost unbelievable how arrogant and cold some people are when it comes to offering a shred of empathy toward their political opponents.
According to a new CNN report, Jimmy Kimmel’s firing from ABC came down to one critical decision. After sparking outrage over his comments on the Charlie Kirk shooting, executives at Disney and ABC expected him to apologize or at least soften his position. Instead, Kimmel told network leadership he had no intention of backing down or correcting his on-air lie about the killer being pro-MAGA.
CNN reported that Kimmel not only refused to issue an apology, but he also wanted to return to the air and talk about the controversy head-on. In private conversations, he made it clear he intended to double down, using his late-night platform to push back at critics. That was the final straw for Disney executives, who feared that allowing him to escalate the fight would trigger an even bigger crisis. Kimmel, to this point, has never been very astute at seeing the writing on the wall or reading the room outside of his coastal entertainment bubble. In the minds of disconnected celebrities like Kimmel, they can spout off and lie about anything while facing no repercussions as an employee when they embarrass and tarnish the brand they represent.
The network was already under pressure with Kimmel’s garbage ratings. Affiliates had threatened to stop airing Jimmy Kimmel Live! and advertisers were wary of being associated with the show. Ratings had been slipping for years, leaving the program vulnerable. Executives concluded that Kimmel’s defiance left them no safe path forward. Within days, ABC announced that his show would be suspended indefinitely, effectively ending his two-decade run.
Democrats have taken Kimmel’s firing as some kind of cause to complain about, appearing more concerned that a lagging comedian lost a TV show than an innocent man lost his life to an assassin. Some of Kimmel’s equally truth-challenged colleagues in the media, like Stephen Colbert, have tried to claim the FCC chair was the reason Kimmel lost his job. But that narrative doesn’t hold up, a point even left-leaning CNN conceded.
While the FCC chair publicly blasted Kimmel’s comments and hinted at regulatory concerns, CNN noted that government action was not what forced ABC’s hand. Instead, this was a business decision driven by affiliates, advertisers, and audiences, the way a free market should work. Disney’s leadership believed keeping Kimmel on air, especially if he intended to reignite the controversy, would do more damage than cutting ties altogether.
It’s stunning to see just how far the network late-night shows have suffered due to the self-inflicted wound of injecting politics into comedy:
Kimmel’s insistence on returning without an apology was what tipped the scales. In the end, his refusal to budge convinced Disney that there was no way to contain the fallout.
The irony here is that Kimmel caused his own undoing with his careless attitude toward the murder of an innocent man practicing the most democratic exercise of free and open debate. ABC decided to finally put out this dumpster fire they’ve been propping up for far too long.
Andrew Kolvet, Charlie’s right-hand man at Turning Point and executive producer, put it best:
Kimmel is out because he attempted to lace disgusting propaganda into a vile joke and peg Charlie’s assassin as MAGA. The affiliates rightly revolted and ABC folded.
What’s disgusting is that the media wants you to care more about Kimmel’s suspension than about Charlie’s assassination.
Jimmy Kimmel is not a victim. He’s just a liar. And for once there are consequences for lying. That’s a good thing for our society.