Sinclair Pulls Jimmy Kimmel from ABC Affiliates After Network Reinstates Host Over Lies About Charlie Kirk

Sinclair Pulls Jimmy Kimmel: A Stand for Media Accountability

• Sinclair preempted Jimmy Kimmel Live! in response to ABC’s quick reinstatement.
• The move is framed as defending truth against liberal media bias.
• This story spotlights tensions between corporate networks and conservative outlets.

Sinclair Broadcast Group made a loud, clear move on Monday, pulling Jimmy Kimmel Live! from its ABC affiliates as a protest against ABC’s decision to bring the host back so quickly . This is being billed as a stand for accountability and against what critics call a pattern of liberal media cover-ups. The network replaced entertainment with news programming to underline its point.

ABC’s reinstatement of Kimmel after a brief suspension struck many conservatives as a slap on the wrist and a sign that elite networks protect their own. The catalyst was Kimmel’s on-air characterization of the killer in the assassination of Charlie Kirk, which critics call a deliberate falsehood meant to score political points. For many on the right, this was another example of double standards in mainstream media.

“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 told his audience, projecting his own tactics onto conservatives. That line has been cited repeatedly by Sinclair and allied commentators as emblematic of the biased, hostile tone coming from late-night hosts. Preserving exact quotes like this keeps the record clear.

Those who reject Kimmel’s framing point to documented facts about the assassin, Tyler Robinson, and his motives as evidence that the attack was politically driven and ideologically left-leaning. The narrative pushed by critics is that ABC and its personalities downplayed those facts to avoid acknowledging dangerous trends in progressive circles. Sinclair argues it cannot broadcast content that it believes misinforms viewers about political violence.

Sinclair’s statement that it will preempt Kimmel and replace the show with news programming was unapologetic and decisive, signaling a willingness to directly challenge network decisions. Discussions with ABC were described as ongoing, but the message was clear: Sinclair will not normalize what it sees as partisan misinformation. For conservatives, this felt like a rare act of media pushback.

The episode ties into broader themes championed by President Donald Trump, who has long attacked coastal media elites as purveyors of Fake News, and it energizes voters who want media that speaks plainly to their concerns. Supporters see Sinclair’s move as defending honest discourse and pushing back on a biased narrative culture. Critics will call it politicized corporate censorship, but for many Republicans it’s a corrective, not a capitulation.