Jimmy Fallon's Quiet Reaction to Kimmel's Charlie Kirk Controversy After Trump's Talk Show Threat

The Cancellation of Jimmy Fallon’s Appearance Amid Controversy

Jimmy Fallon, the popular late-night host of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, recently canceled a planned appearance at the Fast Company Innovation Festival in New York City. The event, scheduled for September 18, was set to feature a session titled “Staying on Brand.” However, Fallon pulled out at the last minute, according to reports from The New York Post. This decision came just hours after ABC had indefinitely suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! due to comments made by Kimmel about the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

The controversy surrounding Kimmel’s remarks began when he addressed the murder of Charlie Kirk during a recent episode of his show. Kirk, a right-wing political figure, was assassinated on September 10, 2025, during a TPUSA debate at Utah Valley University. The suspect, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, was arrested and charged with the killing. Kimmel’s comments, which aired on September 15, sparked significant backlash, leading to a swift response from Nexstar Media, the parent company of ABC.

Nexstar, which operates over 200 television stations across 116 markets, decided to preempt airings of Jimmy Kimmel Live! following Kimmel’s remarks. In a statement, the company expressed strong disapproval of Kimmel’s comments regarding Kirk’s death. “Nexstar strongly objects to recent comments made by Mr. Kimmel concerning the killing of Charlie Kirk and will replace the show with other programming in its ABC-affiliated markets,” the statement read.

Andrew Alford, President of Nexstar's broadcasting division, added that Kimmel’s remarks were offensive and insensitive during a critical period in national political discourse. He emphasized that the comments did not reflect the opinions or values of the communities served by Nexstar. “Continuing to give Mr. Kimmel a broadcast platform in the communities we serve is simply not in the public interest at the current time,” Alford stated. “We have made the difficult decision to preempt his show in an effort to let cooler heads prevail as we move toward the resumption of respectful, constructive dialogue.”

The fallout extended beyond Kimmel’s show. Former President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to call for the cancellation of both The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Late Night With Seth Meyers. “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,” Trump wrote. He also criticized Fallon and Meyers, calling them “total losers” and urging NBC to follow suit.

Kimmel’s comments during the September 15 episode focused on the reaction to Kirk’s death, particularly the attempts by some individuals to downplay the connection between the killer and the far-right movement. “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 and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said. He then highlighted the contrast between the White House’s response and the tone of the president’s remarks.

During the segment, Kimmel played a clip of President Trump responding to questions about the shooting. When asked how he was doing, Trump shifted the conversation to the construction of a new ballroom at the White House. “I think very good, and by the way, right there where you see all the trucks, they just started construction of the new ballroom for the White House,” Trump said. Kimmel then joked, “Yes, he's at the fourth stage of grief, construction.”

The incident has sparked widespread discussion about the role of media in addressing sensitive topics and the potential consequences of controversial commentary. As the situation continues to unfold, the reactions from both the public and political figures highlight the complex dynamics at play in today’s media landscape.