The abrupt programming decision quickly morphed into a flashpoint for free speech in America under the Trump administration.
Sept. 18, 2025
For Robert A. Iger and his leadership team at Disney and ABC, time was running out.
Jimmy Kimmel, one of the company’s biggest stars, was preparing to tape the Wednesday edition of his late-night show in Hollywood at 4:30 p.m. And he had written an opening monologue that would address a cascading political firestorm head-on.
Conservatives had accused Mr. Kimmel of mischaracterizing the politics of the man accused of killing the right-wing activist Charlie Kirk. The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission had just warned ABC of serious consequences, telling the network that “we can do this the easy or the hard way.” And a Texas-based owner of many ABC affiliates was preparing to pull Mr. Kimmel from its stations indefinitely.
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John Koblin covers the television industry for The Times.
Brooks Barnes covers all things Hollywood. He joined The Times in 2007 and previously worked at The Wall Street Journal.
Michael M. Grynbaum writes about the intersection of media, politics and culture. He has been a media correspondent at The Times since 2016.
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