The late-night TV host and star has been suspended by the ABC television network for his comments on the killing of Charlie Kirk following pressure from the Trump administration, according to reports.
The suspension of Kimmel – a practising Catholic – which swiftly followed a veiled threat of regulatory action, has raised concerns that US President Donald Trump and his team are attempting to curtail the free speech of their critics, reports the BBC.
In his monologue at the start of his Monday show, Kimmel, 57, said the "MAGA gang" – a reference to Trump's Make America Great Again election slogan – was "desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them", and was trying to "score political points from it".
