Scott Kowalchyk/CBS via Getty Images
- Stephen Colbert criticized ABC’s decision to pull Jimmy Kimmel’s show “indefinitely.”
- Colbert said in his monologue that the move was a “blatant assault on the freedom of speech.”
- CBS in July said it plans to cancel “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” after its 2026 run.
“The Late Show” host Stephen Colbert defended Jimmy Kimmel during his opening monologue on Thursday night.
Disney-owned ABC said on Wednesday that it was pulling Kimmel’s late-night show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” off the air “indefinitely.” Kimmel’s suspension came after he commented on Charlie Kirk’s death in an episode that aired Monday.
In his monologue on Thursday, Colbert started by referencing a report from Rolling Stone on Wednesday about Kimmel and ABC. An excerpt of Colbert’s monologue was uploaded to Instagram.
“As one source at ABC put it, ‘they were pissing themselves all day.’ Oof. On the bright side, that proves Disney is No. 1 in streaming,” Colbert said.
Colbert also referenced an X post by Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr on Wednesday. Carr had thanked ABC broadcast affiliate Nexstar after it said it was dropping Kimmel’s show from its stations.
“While this may be an unprecedented decision, it is important for broadcasters to push back on Disney programming that they determine falls short of community values,” Carr wrote. “I hope that other broadcasters follow Nexstar’s lead.”
Colbert fired back at Carr in his monologue on Thursday.
“Well, you know what my community values are, buster? Freedom of speech. Or as Alexander Hamilton called it, ‘Hakuna Matata’. People across the country are shocked by this blatant assault on the freedom of speech,” Colbert said.
Representatives for Colbert and Kimmel did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.
Late-night hosts like Colbert and Kimmel have been facing pressure from President Donald Trump and his administration. On Wednesday, Trump congratulated ABC “for finally having the courage to do what had to be done” by dropping Kimmel’s show.
“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!!!” Trump said, referencing NBC’s Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers.
In July, CBS said it was canceling “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” after next year.
Upon news of Colbert’s cancellation, “The Daily Show” host Jon Stewart slammed CBS and questioned if the show’s removal was “purely financial” or the “path of least resistance” for Paramount’s merger with Skydance Media.
Stewart’s and Colbert’s shows belong to the same parent company, Paramount Global.
CBS said on July 18 that the move was “purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night.”
“It is not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount,” it added.
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