‘America is not happy’: ABC faces backlash after axing Jimmy Kimmel Live!
ABC is weathering a storm of criticism after announcing the cancellation of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, with viewers accusing the network of caving to political pressure from Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner Brendan Carr and former President Donald Trump.
The decision sparked immediate outrage online, with many threatening to boycott ABC and its parent company, Disney. One complainant,claiming a history of escaping socialism,directly accused the network of suppressing free speech and mirroring tactics used by authoritarian regimes: “Can you explain why you actively trying to destroy free speech and the first amendment? I grew up in the socialism and went through hell to escape and now you act exactly like them.”
Concerns were raised regarding pending merger deals involving Nexstar and Sinclair before the FCC,leading some to speculate the cancellation was motivated by securing approval for those deals. ”Shame, Shame, Shame. Folded to the bully Carr and Trump. All for the pending sale?” one viewer wrote.
Others expressed thier anger more directly, with one commenter labeling the move a “Gestapo Takeover by the Trump administration” and vowing to stop watching all ABC shows. The online discourse also included references to historical dictatorships, invoking what is known as Godwin’s law.
Not all feedback was negative. A small number of respondents stated they disliked Kimmel’s comedy and welcomed his departure, with one writing, “Even though I never watch ABC…I appreciate that you had the good sense to boot Kimmel.” Another critic dismissed Kimmel as “totally talentless.”
Viewers wishing to provide feedback to ABC can do so through the network’s online contact form: https://support.abc.com/hc/en-us/requests/new?ticket_form_id=360003079511.
A recent article in ABC News highlighted concerns about the future of late-night television, noting Jimmy Kimmel’s departure amid a changing media landscape.(https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09-18/jimmy-kimmel-stephen-colbert-late-night-in-trump-america/105788394)