Disney and ABC announced the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night program following his controversial comments about the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.

The network’s decision came after Kimmel mocked both Kirk’s death and President Donald Trump’s public response, triggering widespread backlash and renewed scrutiny of the network’s standards.

On Monday night, Kimmel used his opening monologue to criticize how conservatives described the shooter’s ideology.

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“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.

He went further, targeting President Trump for ordering flags to be flown at half-staff in Kirk’s honor.

“This is not how an adult grieves the murder of somebody he called a friend,” Kimmel told his audience.

“This is how a 4-year-old mourns a goldfish, okay?”

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The remarks quickly drew sharp condemnation.

Conservative figures and supporters of Kirk flooded social media demanding Kimmel’s removal, arguing that his comments both misrepresented the circumstances of the assassination and demeaned those mourning Kirk’s death.

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While ABC has not formally terminated Kimmel, the network confirmed the suspension, a move many critics viewed as a significant reversal for a broadcaster that has defended Kimmel’s commentary in the past.

The controversy also sparked comparisons to ABC’s handling of comedian Roseanne Barr in 2018.

Barr, whose revival of the sitcom Roseanne was the top-rated show on television at the time, was fired after posting a tweet about former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett.

Then-ABC entertainment president Channing Dungey denounced her words as “abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values.”

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Disney CEO Bob Iger supported the decision, and within hours the network canceled Roseanne before rebranding the series as The Conners. Barr apologized, but the decision ended her role on the show.

Barr herself weighed in on the Kimmel suspension after MSNBC host Chris Hayes described it as “the most straightforward attack on free speech from state actors I’ve ever seen in my life and it’s not even close.”

Barr responded on social media with a pointed reaction that drew attention across platforms.

The contrast between Barr’s firing over a single tweet and Kimmel’s years of political commentary highlighted what critics described as a double standard in how ABC enforces its policies.

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Kimmel’s program has faced declining ratings in recent years, with critics attributing the slide to his increased focus on partisan political segments over comedy.

Kimmel’s suspension comes as networks face growing scrutiny over their late-night programming and the broader role of political commentary in primetime entertainment.

While it is unclear whether ABC will ultimately end Kimmel’s run, the suspension marks a significant step for the network and has intensified the debate about accountability in broadcast television.

For ABC, the decision carries echoes of past controversies and raises questions about whether the network will continue supporting politically charged content in its flagship late-night lineup.

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