FCC got more complaints about Jimmy Kimmel's suspension than about his Charlie Kirk remarks

Judy Kurtz

The Hill

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24.02.2026

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FCC got more complaints about Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension than about his Charlie Kirk remarks

Jimmy Kimmel’s remarks about the killing of Charlie Kirk and his subsequent suspension by ABC drew more than 1,600 complaints to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), with most critical of the late-night host’s brief time off the air and of FCC Chair Brendan Carr.

In a controversial move, ABC pulled “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” off the air last September after the comedian said during his monologue that Republicans were attempting to score “political points” off of conservative activist Kirk’s death. Kimmel also joked that President Trump was mourning the Turning Point USA co-founder’s murder “like a 4-year-old mourns the death of a goldfish.”

The decision by Disney, ABC’s parent company, to suspend Kimmel came after Carr had suggested local affiliates drop the show from the air. Local TV news providers Nexstar Media Group, which owns The Hill, and Sinclair Broadcast Group temporarily preempted Kimmel’s shows amid the Kirk backlash.

Kimmel returned to the airwaves roughly a week later, after ABC said it had “thoughtful conversations” with the host and Nexstar said it remained “committed to protecting the First Amendment” while “broadcasting content that is in the best interest of the communities we serve.”

Kimmel told the audience upon his return that it wasn’t his intention “to make light of the murder of a young man” and accused the Trump administration of attempting to silence him.

The Kimmel controversy elicited about 1,645 complaints to the FCC, according to records obtained by The Hill as part of a Freedom of Information Act request.

In the days immediately following Kimmel’s remarks, several viewers — about 30 in total — blasted his comments in their FCC notes.

Kimmel’s show, a Buford, Ga., resident said, “falsely blamed ‘the right'” for the Kirk shooting and was “reckless and misleading.”

Another complaint from Valrico, Fla., ripped “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” saying it “downplayed, distorted, and mocked the truth.”

“This was not harmless comedy. By intentionally lying to the public about a politically motivated murder, ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ crossed the line from satire into malicious disinformation,” the letter said.

In another message to the FCC, sent two days after Kimmel’s comments, a Florida viewer said, “While I respect the importance of free speech and satire in American media, I also believe there is a responsibility to maintain truthfulness and civility, especially when addressing politically or socially sensitive topics.”

“The repeated airing of content that may misinform viewers or further polarize public opinion is deeply troubling,” the Miami resident said.

But after the initial complaints about Kimmel’s show, and as the fallout began to snowball, more and more letters to the FCC focused on criticism of Carr and the agency itself.

“The FCC’s mandate is to uphold the public interest, not to police speech based on viewpoint. Pulling Jimmy Kimmel’s show appears to be an act of censorship that undermines the First Amendment protections guaranteed to all broadcasters and citizens,” a Nashville, Tenn., viewer wrote.

“Comedy, satire, and political commentary are vital components of a free press and a healthy democracy — whether one agrees with the content or not,” the person said, knocking Carr’s statements against Kimmel as “inappropriate” and risking “chilling lawful expression.”

Hundreds of the complaints, the vast majority reviewed by The Hill, took aim at Carr and the FCC, accusing them of bowing to Trump. The president had praised ABC’s move to suspend Kimmel, one of his most vocal late-night TV critics.

Following Kimmel’s comments on Kirk’s death, Carr said in an interview, “We can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to take action on Kimmel or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”

“I find FCC Chairman Carr’s comments regarding Kimmel as being much more chilling than the comments of any late-night comedian,” an Overland Park, Kansas, viewer wrote in their letter.

“Shame on [Carr] for this. Using his position as a political weapon to censor free speech is about as far from what he should be doing as I can imagine. It is unconscionable to think that this is acceptable behavior.”

“Why does the FCC hate the First Amendment,” a Los Angeles resident titled their complaint to the agency. “Be consistent and stop censoring stuff you disagree with,” the person wrote.

“Leave ABC and ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ alone,” said a San Francisco viewer. Kimmel is “entitled to express his opinions. Respect freedom of the press.”

“I hope you get the amount of pushback on this you deserve. To pressure ABC/Disney to suspend Kimmel’s show based on his comments which were not in any way out of line, inappropriate or even inaccurate is beyond belief,” a Gilbert, Ariz. letter stated. “This is America. You should be ashamed of yourselves.”

“The FCC has a legitimate role in regulating indecency, profanity and technical broadcast standards. But policing the accuracy of political commentary or satire, even when clumsy or one-sided, sets a dangerous precedent,” a Chicago viewer wrote to the agency.

“Political humor has long targeted both left and right and should remain free to do so without fear of government reprisal.”

“The FCC should uphold the First Amendment, not destroy it,” another person from Chicago said in their complaint.

“Kimmel’s mild criticism of Trump was clearly used as a cheap pretext to silence a critic of the administration. This is un-American. And deeply disturbing.”

“I never thought I’d see the day in this country when a comedian — a mainstream comedian — would be pulled for telling a joke many of us agree with,” a complaint from San Antonio, Texas, said. “Shameful day.”

—Ella Lee contributed.

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FCC got more complaints about Jimmy Kimmel's suspension than about his Charlie Kirk remarks

Judy Kurtz

© The Hill