When ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel was booted from the airwaves for a few days last year, much of America enjoyed the peace while a few ardent critics of President Donald Trump tried to find a way to blame him.
Though the president had been among Kimmel’s many vocal critics, the former CEO of ABC’s parent company Disney dismissed any such rumors once and for all.
As Breitbart reported:
Bob Iger, the former chief of the Disney Grooming Syndicate, says the decision to suspend former comedian Jimmy Kimmel last September had nothing to do with pressure from President Donald Trump and everything to do with Kimmel’s “bad taste.”
ADVERTISEMENTIger’s “approach to the Trump administration was scrutinised when Kimmel was taken off the air following his comments about the shooting of the rightwing culture warrior Charlie Kirk,” writes the Financial Times. “Iger says people mistook the move as being politically motivated.”
“That was not the case,” he said. “We thought it was in bad taste … We just wanted him to acknowledge that it was an ill-timed and probably inappropriate comment.”
His comments sparked some additional discussion about the months-old controversy.
Here’s a look back at some of the initial backlash:
Wow. So the media lied, unfunny Kimmel lied, all the Democrat politicians lied. Surprise, surprise.
— @thebeartruth (@thebeartruth3) June 26, 2026
Good point.
Unfortunately, the show hasn't been cancelled, but it's reach is very limited.
Maybe the writers will realize their jobs are hanging in the balance and stop being so hateful. But I doubt it…
— Sparrow (@jeanpartington3) September 18, 2025
It’s so strange to hear Iger actually say something intelligent. Whether he means it is an entirely different story, but his words are correct.
— SonicStantz (@SonicStantz) June 24, 2026
The Washington Times added these details:
Kirk, the 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed on Sept. 10, 2025, while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, as part of his “American Comeback Tour.” Five days after the killing, Mr. Kimmel addressed the aftermath in his monologue, suggesting that Tyler Robinson, Kirk’s alleged assassin, was a member of what Mr. Kimmel called the “MAGA gang.” He accused conservatives of exploiting the killing for political gain.
The remarks drew immediate backlash from conservative media and government officials. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr issued a pointed warning on a podcast, saying broadcasters could resolve the matter “the easy way or the hard way.” Nexstar and Sinclair, whose affiliate stations carry ABC programming, announced they would pull the show from their markets. ABC subsequently announced that “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” would be preempted indefinitely. The suspension ran from Sept. 17 through Sept. 22, 2025.
ADVERTISEMENTThe decision sparked its own backlash. Hollywood unions, civil liberties organizations, Democratic officials and some Republicans condemned the move as a capitulation to government pressure. Negotiations continued behind the scenes among Mr. Iger, Disney Entertainment co-chair Dana Walden and Kimmel’s team before the show was ultimately allowed to return.
And here’s another flashback:
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