Late-night TV is at a turning point, and Stephen Colbert is standing firmly behind his colleague Jimmy Kimmel. In the wake of ABC suspending Jimmy Kimmel Live! indefinitely, Colbert used his Late Show monologue to defend Kimmel and free speech.
The move by ABC came after Kimmel delivered a monologue criticizing how some MAGA figures responded to the death of Charlie Kirk. Kimmel accused them of trying to politicize the tragedy, and some critics of the comedian claimed Kimmel suggested the shooter was connected to conservative politics. The controversy quickly escalated, with Nexstar- and Sinclair-owned affiliates refusing to air future Jimmy Kimmel Live! episodes, and FCC Chair Brendan Carr signaling potential regulatory fallout. Facing mounting pressure, ABC pulled the plug on Kimmel’s show without providing a timeline for its return.
Unfortunately, Stephen Colbert knows this story all too well. It wasn't that long ago that CBS announced its plan to cancel The Late Show in 2026. That move also came with some political pressure, as Paramount needed FCC approval for its merger with Skydance.
On Thursday night, Colbert got his first chance to publicly respond to ABC. In a clip posted to Instagram with the caption "The Late Show stands with Jimmy Kimmel and his staff." Colbert took his shot.
The Late Show host took exception with FCC chair Brendan Carr's tweet arguing that "it is important for broadcasters to push back on Disney programming that they determine falls short of community values."
"Well, you know what my community values are, buster?" Colbert responded. "Freedom of speech," he added, receiving a thunderous applause from his studio audience. Some in favor of ABC's decision have suggested it's not a freedom of speech issue, but rather Kimmel's poor ratings and insensitive comments offending advertisers that motivated the suspension.
However, Kimmel's ratings aren't so cut and dry. Viewership on ABC hasn't taken any drastic drops to suggest Jimmy Kimmel Live! is a lost cause. Instead, how fans consume media has changed, and Kimmel's clips continually perform well on social media.
The evidence of government interference seems much more concrete, despite denials from the the FCC and several political commentators. Yet prominent politicians like California Governor Gavin Newsom and former President Barack Obama have spoken out about ABC suspending Kimmel, calling attention to alleged government censorship and attacks on freedom of speech.
Now we can add Stephen Colbert to the list of voices defending Jimmy Kimmel. It's certainly no surprise, given what Colbert has gone through over the past few months and how quickly Kimmel came to his defense. We likely haven't heard the end of Colbert's thoughts on Kimmel vs. ABC.