By Bobby Burack

Copyright outkick

ABC pulled Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show “indefinitely” on Wednesday night, a network spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal. The move came after Kimmel lied to his audience on Monday, claiming that Charlie Kirk’s assassin was part of the “MAGA gang.” Kimmel said, “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them.” Over the weekend, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox stated that suspect Tyler Robinson had embraced a “leftist ideology” and radicalized in that direction. Later-released texts between Robinson and his trans partner confirmed he targeted Kirk because of the conservative activist’s beliefs. In other words, there was no gray area. Cox made this announcement before Kimmel’s Monday taping, yet he spread the widely debunked lie anyway. Worse, Kimmel refused to correct the record Tuesday night, and ABC’s swift actions suggest he had no intention of doing so. Already, Kimmel’s friendly allies are claiming his suspension violates “free speech.” In actuality, it does not. ABC didn’t pull Kimmel off-air because of his opinion. The network pulled him because he willfully lied about the details of a suspected political assassin. Speaking of liars, here’s MSBNC host Chris Hayes reacting to the news on X. “The countries where comedians can’t mock the leader on late-night TV are not really ones you want to live in.” Kimmel’s indefinite suspension raises questions about his future. Put bluntly, his return to ABC is not a lock. Earlier this year, CBS canceled Stephen Colbert’s show after it lost an estimated $40 million annually. Like Colbert, Kimmel makes around $17 million a year and requires a large staff of writers and producers. Kimmel’s ratings are also 30 percent to 40 percent lower than Colbert’s ratings. Further, ABC was set to lose more money on Kimmel’s program moving forward, following Nexstar Media Group’s announcement that it would preempt “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” 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, and we do not believe they reflect the spectrum of opinions, views, or values of the local communities in which we are located,” Nexstar broadcasting chief Andrew Alford said in a statement on Wednesday. From Everyman To Hollywood Fraud What’s most distasteful about Kimmel’s political rhetoric is that it has always felt forced. Colbert had always been an ardent progressive. But Kimmel? He began his television career on “The Man Show” alongside Adam Carolla, joking about one-night stands, women, sports, and other normal-guy stuff. Now, he masquerades as a resistance warrior. Kimmel’s anti-Trump act reeks of an overcompensation for his past, a desperate bid for approval from Hollywood’s elite. Even his craven, tearful monologue after Trump’s election exposed him as more of a eunuch than a partisan fighter. The Kimmel of old would have cringed at the Kimmel of new, in his pompous, elitist form. Many of us do. He doesn’t have the wits for this role. Still, nothing spoke volumes about Kimmel’s character more than his commentary following Charlie Kirk’s death. Kirk was a 31-year-old husband and father of two. He was murdered in cold blood for his political views. If that doesn’t make you recoil, then you likely lack decency as an American. And yet, Kimmel doubled down on the political propaganda and continued to dehumanize people with different political beliefs. No one demanded that talk show hosts, journalists, liberals, and Democrats mourn Kirk’s death. No one is obligated to mourn for anyone. All this group had to do was not celebrate his death, sympathize with his killer, or lie about the details of his alleged assassin. From MSNBC to the New York Times, from college campuses to late-night television – these groups failed. And removing them from their jobs is not cancel culture or an attack on free speech. It’s accountability for their demonic, ghoulish views that can’t bring them to admit that political assassination is wrong. There is no reason to bring Kimmel back on-air. His influence is minimal, his content is divisive, and his returns are diminished.