ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show on Wednesday after the television network decided his comments on the fatal shooting of the conservative activist Charlie Kirk had crossed a line.
The decision to pull the program, made under unusual pressure from the Federal Communications Commission, has set off a political firestorm over free speech and the government’s ability to silence commentary it dislikes.
Mr. Kirk was killed on a college campus in Utah on Sept. 10. Since then, President Trump has blamed the “radical left” for rhetoric that led to the death of Mr. Kirk. Known for his outreach with young voters, Mr. Kirk was credited with helping Mr. Trump win the White House.
Mr. Kimmel went after Mr. Trump’s supporters in his Monday program, calling them “the MAGA gang” during his monologue, and suggested the man accused of shooting Mr. Kirk was “one of them.” He also ridiculed Mr. Trump’s response to the tragedy last week, saying he grieved like “a 4-year-old mourning a goldfish.”
The next day, conservative commentators began to disparage the comments. The controversy spread on social media, with figures including Elon Musk condemning Mr. Kimmel’s remarks. Soon the chairman of the F.C.C. warned ABC of serious consequences, including the possibility of pulling broadcast licenses, in the wake of Mr. Kimmel’s monologue. In response, ABC and its parent company, Disney, have temporarily suspended “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” prompting a broader discussion about the First Amendment, political pressure and the future of late-night television.
Here’s how the week unfolded.
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