What Does ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ Being Pulled Off the Air Mean for Musicians?

The suspension of late night TV host Jimmy Kimmel and the removal of his show from the ABC airwaves has sparked a wave or responses, including one from the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada who have shared their support for Kimmel in what they deem an act of "government overreach."

What Did the American Federation of Musicians Say About Jimmy Kimmel Live Being Removed From Air?

The American Federation of Musicians on Wednesday (Sept. 17) offered a swift response after the news that ABC was pulling the Jimmy Kimmel Live late night show from their programming as a form of suspension over comments made during his monologue about the death of Charlie Kirk, MAGA conservatives and President Trump's comments about the construction of a ballroom at the White House.

Their statement can be read below:

American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada President Tino Gagliardi issued the following statement in response to ABC taking Jimmy Kimmel Live!, which employs musicians from Local 47 in Los Angeles, off the air:

“This is not complicated: Trump’s FCC identified speech it did not like and threatened ABC with extreme reprisals. This is state censorship. It’s now happening in the United States of America, not some far-off country. It’s happening right here and right now.

This act by the Trump Administration represents a direct attack on free speech and artistic expression. These are fundamental rights that we must protect in a free society. The American Federation of Musicians strongly condemns the decision to take Jimmy Kimmel Live! off the air.

We stand in solidarity with all those who will be without work because of government overreach.

What Is the American Federation of Musicians?

According to their website, the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada is an AFL-CIO affiliated labor union representing 70,000 professional musicians.

The AFM negotiates fair agreements, protects ownership of recorded music, secures benefits such as health care and pension and lobbies for musicians and the rights of workers.

Since its inception more than 129 years ago, the AFM has had one goal: to elevate, protect and advance the interests of all musicians who receive payment for their musical services.

Why Does This Matter to Musicians?

While Kimmel himself may not be a musician, he shares the right of artistic expression with those who've made their living through music. The move by ABC to remove Kimmel from the airwaves under those with ties to the Trump administration has brought into the spotlight concerns over freedom of speech with governmental intervention.

How this situation plays out may ultimately impact how freedom of speech could be regulated or impacted across all forms moving forward, including music.

What Did Jimmy Kimmel Say During His Monologue?

The murder of Charlie Kirk has been a heavily dissected topic of discussion in the U.S. since it happened on Sept. 10. Tyler James Robinson has been accused of the murder and since he was arrested more details about his family background and personal life have come to light.

Speaking on the public speculation about Robinson, Kimmel said in his monologue, "The Maga Gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it. In between the finger-pointing, there was grieving."

The late night show the played a clip of an interview with Trump, in which he was asked how he was holding up after Kirk's assassination. "I think very good and by the way, right there you see all the trucks. They just started construction on the new ballroom at the White House, which is something they've been trying to get, as you know, for about 150 years. And it's going to be a beauty."

"He's at the fourth stage of grief: construction," said Kimmel as the program played additional clips of the President speaking about the ballroom when fielding questions about Kirk.

Watch below.

Why Was Jimmy Kimmel Live Taken Off Air?

On Wednesday (Sept. 17), an ABC spokesperson confirmed, "Jimmy Kimmel Live will be pre-empted indefinitely," without offering any additional details.

The decision came just hours after a Trump FCC's head responsible for licensing ABC's local stations had publicly lobbied for the network to punish the late night host for his comments.

READ MORE: Knocked Loose's Bryan Garris Has Message for Jimmy Kimmel Live Performance Critics

Per CNN, at least two major owners of ABC-affiliated stations also shared that they were planning to preempt Kimmel's show.

FCC chair Brendan Carr shared with podcaster Benny Johnson on Wednesday (Sept. 17) that the FCC was looking into immediate action against Kimmel, ABC and Disney for deliberately misleading the public that Kirk's assassin was a MAGA conservative.

Carr called for Kimmel's suspension and added that ABC could lose their broadcasting license.

"This is a very, very serious issue right now for Disney. We can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to take action on Kimmel or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead," shared Carr. "They have a license granted by us at the FCC and that comes with it an obligation to operate in the public interest."

Nexstar Media Group Inc. said it would stop airing the show on its 32 ABC affiliates. "Mr. Kimmel's comments about the death of Mr. Kirk are offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse," said Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar's broadcasting division (per USA Today).

In Kimmel's place, the Sinclair Broadcast Group has announced plans to air a Charlie Kirk remembrance special on Friday (Sept. 19).

"Mr. Kimmel's remarks were inappropriate and deeply insensitive at a critical moment for our country," Sinclair Vice Chairman Jason Smith said in a statement. "We believe broadcasters have a responsibility to educate and elevate respectful, constructive dialogue in our communities. We appreciate FCC Chairman Carr's remarks today and this incident highlights the critical need for the FCC to take immediate regulatory action to address control held over local broadcasters by the big national networks."

It should be noted that there is also a merger approval process for Nexstar that involves the FCC that is currently on the table.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, President Trump celebrated Kimmel's show being taken off the air while publicly calling for NBC to do the same with late night host Seth Meyers. He wrote, "Great News for America: The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED. Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done. Kimmel has ZERO talent, and worse ratings than even Colbert, if that’s possible. That leaves Jimmy and Seth, two total losers, on Fake News NBC. Their ratings are also horrible. Do it NBC!!! President DJT."

What Others Are Saying About Jimmy Kimmel's Removal From ABC?

There has been significant pushback on ABC's decision to remove Jimmy Kimmel from the airwaves.

The American Federation of Musicians were not alone in their stance. Per Newsweek, the Writers Guild of America issued a statement that read, ""Shame on those in government who forget this founding truth. As for our employers, our words have made you rich. Silencing us impoverishes the whole world. The WGA stands with Jimmy Kimmel and his writers."

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) added in a public statement, "The government pressured ABC—and ABC caved. The timing of ABC's decision, on the heels of the FCC chairman's pledge to the network to "do this the easy way or the hard way," tells the whole story. Another media outlet withered under government pressure, ensuring that the administration will continue to extort and exact retribution on broadcasters and publishers who criticize it."

Anna Gomez, the lone Democratic commissioner at the FCC, shared on X, "An inexcusable act of political violence by one disturbed individual must never be exploited as justification for broader censorship and control. This Administration is increasingly using the weight of government power to suppress lawful expression."

In the rock world, Testament guitarist Alex Skolnick commented, "I don't recognize the U.S. anymore. A week ago, Jimmy Kimmel posted a heartfelt, sympathetic & empathetic message of condolence and sorry to Charlie Kirk's family. Last night, he made a joke about Trump's reaction, bragging about the WH ballroom (it was funny). Those who support today's cancellation [of] Kimmel by ABC/Disney to appease the oversensitive manbaby in the WH — who so often says terrible things about so many — are highly selective, manipulative a-holes who don't deserve to live here."