By Aveek Banerjee,News18
Copyright news18
Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel’s show was abruptly pulled from the air over his remarks on the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, prompting a massive political storm in the United States. The Daily Show host, Jon Stewart, made a rare appearance on Thursday to address ABC’s decision to kill Kimmel’s show.
The comedian, 62, who typically only hosts Comedy Central’s political satire show on Mondays, appeared on Thursday in a dark suit and a red tie, similar to Trump’s attire. He was also seated in front of a gold-inspired backdrop, another nod at Trump’s decor, according to the New York Post. Instead of addressing the Kimmel row, Stewart illustrated a not-so-distant future in which all media is “administration-compliant”.
“We have another fun, hilarious, administration-compliant show,” he said while feigning nervousness and gesturing at the live audience to stifle their laughter. “Coming to you tonight from a real s**thole, the crime-ridden cesspool that is New York City. It is a tremendous disaster, like no one has ever seen before. Someone’s National Guard should invade this place, am I right?”
An obedient Jon Stewart offers a refresher on the rules of free speech (White House-approved) in the wake of Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension pic.twitter.com/4uj18ZziNG
— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) September 19, 2025
“If you felt a little off these past couple of days, it’s probably because our great father has not been home, for father has been gracing England with his legendary warmth and radiance,” he continued, referring to Trump’s two-day state visit to the United Kingdom. “You may call it free speech in jolly old England. But here in America, we have a little something called the First Amendment. And let me tell you how it works. There’s something called a talent-o-meter.”
“It is a completely scientific instrument that is kept on the president’s desk, and it tells the president when a performer’s TQ — talent quotient — measured mostly by niceness to the president, goes below a certain level, at which point the (Federal Communications Commission) must be notified to threaten the acquisition prospects for billion-dollar mergers of network affiliates. These affiliates are then asked to give ultimatums to even large mega-corporations that control the flow of state-approved content or the FCC can just choose to threaten those licenses directly. It’s basic science.”
After a 23-minute monologue by Stewart, the hosts and correspondents of The Daily Show also appeared in Trump’s signature suit against a gold backdrop, singing a song about Trump’s appearance and accomplishments. Stewart later welcomed Nobel Peace Prize-winning author Maria Ressa, who wrote the book “How to Stand Up to a Dictator.”
What’s The Controversy?
This came after Walt Disney-owned broadcaster ABC on Wednesday announced it was suspending the late-night comedy show ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ after the host’s remarks on assassinated right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.
The controversy stems from comments Kimmel made during his Monday monologue, where he addressed the political fallout surrounding Kirk’s death. Kimmel suggested that “the MAGA gang” was “desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them” and trying to score political points.
The remarks were widely condemned as insensitive and offensive, with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr calling the conduct “sickest possible” and suggesting that the FCC could take action against ABC affiliates.
Sinclair Broadcasting, another affiliate for ABC, also said it would yank Kimmel’s long-running program from its stations until he apologizes directly to Kirk’s family and donates to his conservative organisation. However, Kimmel has reportedly rebuffed calls for an apology, as per NYP.
