U.S. President Donald Trump’s request to have late-night host Jimmy Kimmel removed from the air has been denied as ABC announced a one-year contract extension for Kimmel. The extension, signed on Monday, ensures Kimmel will continue hosting his show, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” until at least May 2027. Kimmel’s future seemed uncertain in September when ABC briefly suspended his show due to comments made following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. However, after public backlash, the suspension was lifted, and Kimmel returned with improved ratings.
Despite Trump’s call for ABC to remove Kimmel from the air, the network and Disney had already reached an agreement for the contract extension several months ago. The decision to delay the announcement was reportedly made out of respect for fellow late-night host Stephen Colbert, whose show, “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” is set to end its 10-year run on CBS in May 2026 due to economic reasons.
Kimmel faced criticism for his remarks following Kirk’s killing, which led to temporary removal of his show by Disney. Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr accused Kimmel of misleading viewers about the shooter’s affiliation with Trump’s Make America Great Again movement. Carr is scheduled to testify before the Senate’s commerce committee on Dec. 17 following criticism for pressuring broadcasters to take Kimmel off the air.
Upon his return to the air, Kimmel did not offer an apology for his previous comments but clarified that he did not intend to attribute blame to a specific group for Kirk’s assassination. Kimmel, who has been hosting his show on ABC since 2003, has also hosted major events like the Academy Awards and the Emmy Awards multiple times.
The contract extension for Kimmel is a one-year deal, in contrast to his previous multi-year renewals. The specifics of who decided on the one-year extension have not been disclosed.
