It didn’t take long for Donald Trump to weigh in after ABC abruptly pulled the plug on Jimmy Kimmel Live! this week.
The former president took to Truth Social on Wednesday night with a fiery post, celebrating the move and using it as a chance to take aim at other late-night hosts.
Trump’s Victory Lap on Truth Social
“Great news for America,” Trump wrote. “The ratings-challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED.”
He went on to congratulate ABC for “finally having the courage” to take action, blasting Kimmel as having “ZERO talent” and “worse ratings than Colbert, if that’s possible.”
Trump didn’t stop there—he urged NBC to axe both Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers, calling them “total losers” with “horrible ratings.”
Why ABC Pulled the Plug
Trump’s gleeful reaction came just hours after ABC announced that Kimmel’s late-night show would be “preempted indefinitely.”
The decision followed Kimmel’s scathing monologues about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, a close Trump ally.
Kimmel, who has never shied away from mocking Trump, drew outrage with back-to-back segments in which he criticized how Republicans—including Trump—responded to Kirk’s death.
He accused MAGA supporters of trying to twist the narrative and mocked Trump’s personal statement about Kirk, comparing it to how “a 4-year-old mourns a goldfish.”
Doubling Down on Controversy
By Tuesday night, Kimmel was still on the offensive.
He ridiculed Vice President JD Vance for stepping in to host Kirk’s podcast, and he jabbed at Trump for “fanning the flames” with political attacks.
He also took swipes at FBI Director Kash Patel, comparing his handling of the case to “a kid who didn’t read the book, BS’ing his way through an oral report.”
Backlash Beyond Politics
The reaction wasn’t confined to Trump’s circle.
Nexstar Communications Group, one of the largest local TV operators in the U.S., announced it would no longer air Kimmel’s show across its 23 ABC-affiliated stations.
Nexstar executive Andrew Alford called Kimmel’s remarks “offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse.”
That move reportedly forced ABC executives into emergency discussions, ultimately leading to the suspension announcement.
Silence From Kimmel, Cheers From the White House
Kimmel has not yet commented publicly on the decision.
For ABC, the language of “indefinite preemption” stops short of a permanent cancellation, but the swift blowback from affiliates has left the future of the show in doubt.
Meanwhile, Trump allies wasted no time celebrating.
Taylor Budowich, White House Deputy Chief of Staff, applauded ABC’s decision.
“Welcome to Consequence Culture,” he said.
“Normal, common-sense Americans are no longer taking the bulls***, and companies like ABC are finally willing to do the right and reasonable thing. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
What Happens Next?
For now, Jimmy Kimmel Live! is off the air with no timeline for return.
ABC hasn’t officially labeled it a cancellation, but the combination of affiliate pressure, political backlash, and Trump’s victory lap has cast serious doubt on whether the late-night staple—on air since 2003—will ever make it back to screens.