The dwindling late-night television landscape shifted again this week as ABC announced that it was indefinitely pulling Jimmy Kimmel Live! off the air. The decision came after years of declining ratings and a fresh wave of backlash following Kimmel spreading misinformation about the alleged killer of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
For many viewers, the move signaled the long overdue end of a show that had drifted further and further from comedy and leaned heavily into politics.
No one was more pleased with the removal of Jimmy Kimmel than U.S. President Donald J. Trump. He took to his Truth Social platform with a full on celebratory message.
“Great News for America: The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED,” Trump said. “Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done. 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!!! President DJT”
Of course, Trump’s remark are only partially accurate. Kimmel has not been cancelled or fired as of yet by ABC and Disney. His show has been pulled off the air indefinitely, but he remains under contract and Disney is reportedly looking for a way to get him back on.
A screenshot of Jimmy Kimmel crying on TV after the election of Donald Trump – YouTube, Jimmy Kimmel Live
However, the sharp message reflected not only Trump’s personal disdain for Kimmel, but also his broader argument that mainstream networks have squandered their cultural capital by embracing partisan talking points instead of entertainment.
Trump’s Prediction Comes True
The cancellation also gave Trump an opportunity to say “I told you so.” Earlier in 2025, CBS announced that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert would be ending its run in 2026. Trump responded by also mocking Colbert’s “lack of talent” and, in the same breath, predicted that Kimmel would be next.
U.S. President Donald Trump sits for an interview with ABC News – YouTube, ABC News
At the time, Trump stated: “I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings. I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. Has even less talent than Colbert!”
Now, just a few months later, Trump’s prediction has come to pass. Colbert’s show is on the way out, and ABC has axed Kimmel entirely. For Trump, it marks another chance to frame himself as not only a political figure, but a cultural one with his finger on the pulse of what audiences really want.
A History of Bad Blood
Trump and Kimmel have been feuding for years. Kimmel routinely turned his late-night monologues into anti-Trump segments, branding him as unfit for office and mocking his supporters. Trump, for his part, frequently blasted Kimmel as “unfunny” and “talentless,” while pointing to falling ratings as proof that the host was out of step with the American public.
Jimmy Kimmel speaks to Arnold Schwarzenegger on Jimmy Kimmel Live – YouTube, Jimmy Kimmel Live
Kimmel’s relentless attacks on Trump never translated into stronger ratings. In fact, as Kimmel doubled down on politics, his viewership steadily eroded. By 2024, Jimmy Kimmel Live! was regularly trailing behind Colbert’s show.
Hollywood Unites Behind Kimmel: WGA & SAG-AFTRA Defend Kimmel
When ABC pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live! off the air indefinitely, the Writers Guild of America (West and East) and the actors’ union SAG-AFTRA were quick to come to his defense. They condemned the move as not just an attack on one individual, but on the free-speech foundation of entertainment itself.
“What we have signed on to – painful as it may be at times – is the freeing agreement to disagree,” the Writers Guild of America West and Writers Guild of America East said in a joint statement. “Shame on those in government who forget this founding truth. As for our employers, our words have made you rich. Silencing us impoverishes the whole world.”
A picket line for the Writers Guild Strike – YouTube, ABC News
Meanwhile, SAG-AFTRA weighed in to warn against the dangers of suppression and retaliation:
SAG-AFTRA, the union representing actors, condemned the scrapping of the show, saying “the decision to suspend airing Jimmy Kimmel Live! is the type of suppression and retaliation that endangers everyone’s freedoms.”
Neither organization made note of the misinformation Kimmel pushed regarding the alleged Charlie Kirk killer’s political affiliations. Instead, they labeled it as a comedian being cancelled for telling jokes, which doesn’t seem to be the case at all.
Ratings Collapse Across Late-Night
Kimmel’s cancellation is part of a broader trend. Late-night comedy, once a cultural staple, has seen its audience collapse over the past decade. Johnny Carson, and later David Letterman and Jay Leno, used to draw millions of nightly viewers. Today, most late-night hosts struggle to break a fraction of those numbers.
Jay Leno sits for an interview – YouTube, Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute
Nielsen data shows that younger audiences are not tuning in to network TV at 11:30 p.m. anymore. Instead, they’re watching podcasts, YouTube personalities, or streaming platforms. Figures like Joe Rogan, Tim Pool, and independent comedians on Rumble or X pull larger and more engaged audiences than the traditional late-night lineup.
The political shift of shows like Kimmel’s didn’t help. What was once billed as comedy increasingly became partisan lectures. Viewers who tuned in for jokes were greeted instead with talking points, often directed at half the country in sneering fashion.
The Future of Late-Night
With Colbert set to bow out in 2026 and Kimmel off the air indefinitely, only NBC’s Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers remain from the old guard of network late-night should Kimmel never return. Trump called them “two total losers” and urged NBC to cancel them as well, pointing out what he described as their “horrible” ratings.
Donald Trump speaks at a rally the night before being inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States of America – YouTube, Washington Post
Whether NBC takes that step or not, the broader trajectory is clear. The late-night era that dominated American pop culture for decades is collapsing. Replaced by online creators, independent comedy, and direct-to-audience platforms, the format no longer carries the same weight it once did.
Trump, never shy about claiming victory, will undoubtedly see this as proof that his long-running critiques of the media are being vindicated. He predicted Kimmel’s demise, and now it has arrived.
How do you feel about President Trump commenting on Jimmy Kimmel Live being pulled from the air? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
Yeah. We must protect the freedom to brazenly lie on air, saying you’re holding an orange when you’re actually holding a banana. Freedom of speech is impossible without that.
I believe ABC just used this to take advantage of a chance to be rid of a ratings flop like Kimmel.