By Nafisat Abdulrahman

Copyright leadership

ABC has pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live! programme off its schedule indefinitely following backlash over the late-night show host’s remarks on the killing of conservative American activist Charlie Kirk.

An ABC spokesperson confirmed the decision in a statement to AFP, saying, “Jimmy Kimmel Live will be preempted indefinitely.” The term “preempted” is often used in the television industry to mean a show is being removed or replaced on the broadcast schedule.

LEADERSHIP reports that Kirk, a prominent ally of President Donald Trump, was shot dead last week while speaking at a university campus in Utah. According to authorities, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson allegedly fired a single rifle shot from a rooftop, striking Kirk in the neck. Robinson has since been arrested and formally charged with murder.

Kimmel addressed the shooting in his Monday night monologue, where he criticised political narratives surrounding the attack.

“We had some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and with everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said, referring to Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement.

The comments sparked outrage among conservatives, who accused the comedian of downplaying the political implications of the killing.

Meanwhile, the White House announced plans this week to pursue what it described as a “left-wing domestic terror movement” in the aftermath of Kirk’s death. The move has raised concerns among civil liberties groups that such measures could be used to clamp down on political dissent.

ABC has not disclosed how long Kimmel’s show will remain off the air or whether he will return.