Brian Stelter is not happy about the indefinite suspension of late-night host Jimmy Kimmel and issued a warning to Americans on Wednesday night.

“This was very sudden this afternoon after [FCC Chairman Carr] spoke out on that far-right podcast,” Stelter began.

“Then, some stations that are owned by other companies but affiliated with ABC started to complain to ABC. We know one of them, Nexstar, which has about two dozen stations with the ABC logo and all the ABC programming. Nexstar publicly announced that they were going to drop Kimmel’s show indefinitely. Within a matter of minutes. We heard from Disney that the show was being pulled altogether.”

Stelter went on about the “chilling” development.

“But even though we’re talking about comedy, this is so serious. America is a less free place if late-night comedians cannot do and say what they want,” he said. “Of course, they can be tuned out. People can change the channel. That’s how we vote. That’s how we have our say in America. But this really does have a chilling effect across the American media.”

STELTER: “This is so serious! America is a less free place if late night comedians cannot do & say what they want.”

(Nexstar & ABC made the decision to end Kimmel’s show, not the U.S. government.) pic.twitter.com/xAC2dSPVxM

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) September 17, 2025

FCC chairman Brendan Carr offered a warning to Kimmel and other show hosts earlier on Wednesday.

“You can do that, you can start a podcast, you can go on YouTube… but if you’re going to have a license from the FCC, we expect you to broadly serve the public interest,” Carr said.

But at the end of the day, it was private companies that pulled the plug, at least temporarily, on Kimmel.

In true leftist fashion, Stelter admitted on X that he was smacked down by Carr after he reached out to him on the issue.

I asked FCC chair @BrendanCarrFCC if he had any new comment now that ABC has pulled Jimmy Kimmel’s show, and he sent me this GIF pic.twitter.com/ljz60FzHN4

— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) September 17, 2025

Stelter was roundly slammed for his hyperbole, ignorance of the Constitution and capitalism, AND misconstruing (that’s being generous) the truth.

Stelter says Kimmel “suggested” the killer “might’ve been” a pro-Trump Republican & that Kimmel said the motive was “unclear” & “maybe” the killer was rightwing.

This is a lie by Brian. Kimmel was *definitive* in his false claim that the shooter was MAGA.pic.twitter.com/6RXMHAOF2m

— Jerry Dunleavy IV (@JerryDunleavy) September 17, 2025

Which is why Brian Stelter and CNN did not play Kimmel’s exact comments. https://t.co/3GkaftqYb0

— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) September 17, 2025

Exactly.

i’m pro–free speech, which is exactly why i’m fine with this. the first amendment restrains the government, not your network, your sponsors, or your audience. kimmel wasn’t jailed, his employer decided that turning a political assassination into a partisan smear (“maga did it”)…

— OrneryBeanBag (@OrneryBeanBag) September 18, 2025

ANYONE is free to say what they want, Mr. Stelter.

They are also free to experience the consequences of saying what they want.

w.

— Willis Eschenbach (@WEschenbach) September 17, 2025

Carr received a round of accolades for his alleged response to Stelter.

.@BrendanCarrFCC and @NewsBusters pic.twitter.com/iJdX1MeJuX

— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) September 17, 2025

OK. This is way funnier than anything Kimmel ever did.

— Kari Lake (@KariLake) September 18, 2025

WAY funnier. Perhaps Carr should have a show?

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