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Ex-President Trump applauded ABC's decision to halt the comedian's program, asserting on Thursday that Kimmel was “not a talented person” who “struggled with low numbers”.

“Well, Jimmy Kimmel was dismissed due to the fact he had bad ratings primarily, and he uttered a horrible statement about a respectable person named Charlie Kirk,” Donald Trump told journalists on his state visit to the United Kingdom. “Jimmy Kimmel is not a talented person. He had extremely poor viewership, and they needed to let him go a long time ago.”

According to audience metrics, Colbert’s program tops the time slot in total viewers with 2.42 million, while Kimmel’s show recorded 1.77 million viewers in the second quarter of 2025 and edged out Colbert in the important key age group. Yet, there was an significant decline in his ratings the last month.

The dispute erupted when the host, in a latest episode, implied that “followers of the movement are making efforts to capitalize on the death of Charlie Kirk”. Within a day, FCC chair Brendan Carr denounced the statements as “deeply offensive” and hinted the network could face official action.

ABC halted the show after network partner Nexstar labeled the comments “offensive and insensitive”.

Earlier that day, Barack Obama condemned what he described as a “concerning” escalation by the White House. “Despite long denouncing cancel culture, the current administration has taken it to a unprecedented height by routinely threatening official sanctions against networks unless they silence or dismiss reporters and commentators it disapproves of,” Obama stated publicly.

Agency member Anna Gomez, a Democrat on the agency, further alleged the network of “shameful” yielding to threats that “threatens the foundation of the First Amendment in danger”. She stated that the FCC “lacks the authority, the means, or the constitutional right to regulate speech or discipline broadcasters for comments the administration disapproves of”.

House Democratic leaders on Thursday called for the chair’s stepping down, charging him of forcing the broadcaster to pull the program through regulatory threats.

“Brendan Carr has participated in the wrongful exercise of influence,” stated Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries and multiple members in a unified release. “He has tarnished the role he is in by bullying ABC and compelling the company to submit to the current government.”