Mamdani Cancels Planned ABC Town Hall following Network’s Suspension of Jimmy Kimmel
NEW YORK,NY – September 17,2025 – New York City mayoral candidate and current frontrunner,Yusuf Mamdani,announced today he is pulling a planned town hall event scheduled too be broadcast on ABC,following the network’s decision to suspend “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” amid conservative backlash.The event, planned over the past few weeks and slated for advertisement this past weekend, was intended to be a platform for Mamdani to address New Yorkers.
The suspension of Kimmel’s show stems from comments made during his monologue last Monday night regarding former President Trump’s supporters and Tyler Robinson,the man accused of fatally shooting Emily Kirk on September 10 at a Utah college campus. Kimmel referred to Trump supporters as “the MAGA gang” and asserted they were attempting to distance Robinson from their political alignment, comments that sparked outrage on the right.
Following the monologue, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr appeared on a right-wing podcast last Wednesday and threatened potential regulatory action against ABC’s parent company, Disney, including the suspension of broadcast licenses, if the network did not take action against Kimmel. nexstar, owner of 32 ABC affiliates, subsequently announced it would indefinitely halt airing “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, prompting ABC and Disney to follow suit nationwide.
Mamdani’s campaign stated he intends to frame the cancellation of the town hall as a stand against Trump’s attacks on dissenting viewpoints.He also plans to highlight the potential job losses for the show’s production staff - including sound engineers, musicians, writers, and stage workers - if the suspension becomes permanent. “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” is filmed in Los Angeles.
Throughout his campaign, Mamdani has consistently positioned himself as a staunch opponent of the Trump governance.he has repeatedly contrasted himself with opponents former Governor andrew Cuomo and incumbent Mayor eric Adams, alleging they are either favored or compromised by the former president.Mamdani is competing in the November 4 general election.