Late-night comedians Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and Jimmy Fallon opened their shows Thursday by speaking out about ABC’s indefinite suspension of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” following comments Kimmel made about conservative leader Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
Each host struck a different tone — Stewart leaned into satire, Colbert delivered a rebuke, and Fallon offered solidarity.
Stewart, The Daily Show
In a rare Thursday appearance, Jon Stewart opened The Daily Show with mock nervousness, parodying a government-approved broadcast, reports The New York Post on Friday.
“From Comedy Central. It’s the all-new government-approved Daily Show with your patriotically obedient host, Jon Stewart,” an announcer declared as Stewart appeared in a Trump-style suit against a gold-adorned set.
“We have another fun, hilarious, administration-compliant show,” Stewart said while urging the audience to quiet their laughter. He went on to mock President Donald Trump’s criticism of major cities: “Coming to you tonight from a real s–thole, the crime-ridden cesspool that is New York City. It is a tremendous disaster, like no one has ever seen before. Someone’s National Guard should invade this place, am I right?”
The comedian also joked about a “talent-o-meter” on the president’s desk that dictates which entertainers are allowed on television. “It is a completely scientific instrument … when a performer’s TQ — talent quotient — measured mostly by niceness to the president, goes below a certain level, the FCC must be notified,” Stewart said.
Colbert, The Late Show
Stephen Colbert opened his show with a parody of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast number “Be Our Guest,” changing the lyrics to “Shut your trap.” He then turned serious, calling Kimmel’s suspension “blatant censorship.”
“If ABC thinks that this is going to satisfy the regime, they are woefully naive,” Colbert said. Responding to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s claim that broadcasters must uphold “community values,” Colbert countered, “Well, you know what my community values are, buster? Freedom of speech.”
During an interview with New Yorker editor David Remnick, Colbert warned, “What we are seeing now is the government acting at the direction of the president of the United States to put pressure on, to manipulate, to silence and even to shut down institutions of the free word.”
Colbert’s comments followed CBS’s earlier announcement that “The Late Show” would be canceled next May, a decision some critics also tied to pressure over his criticism of Trump.
Fallon, The Tonight Show
Jimmy Fallon addressed the controversy with a more subdued message.
“To be honest with you all, I don’t know what’s going on. And no one does. But I do know Jimmy Kimmel, and he’s a decent, funny, and loving guy, and I hope he comes back,” Fallon told his audience.
The monologue then shifted when an announcer interrupted to replace Fallon’s critiques of Trump with scripted flattery, satirizing the censorship theme running across the night’s late shows.
Fallon’s guest lineup — Jude Law, Tom Llamas, and Jonathan Groff — avoided the Kimmel topic, but the host’s initial comments underscored his support for his longtime late-night peer.
Broader Industry Reaction
Kimmel’s suspension came after ABC affiliates refused to air his show, and the FCC suggested penalties for spreading “misinformation.” Supporters argue Kimmel’s comments were misinterpreted and that he never claimed the accused killer of Kirk was a conservative.
Former Late Show host David Letterman also weighed in Thursday, warning against a slide into “managed media.” “I feel bad about this, because we all see where this is going, correct? It’s managed media. It’s no good. It’s silly. It’s ridiculous,” Letterman said at The Atlantic Festival in New York.
Trump has not publicly responded to the late-night pushback.
Earlier on Thursday, Trump posted a Kimmel video on Truth Social, stating that the show host “felt that he had to respond to a TRUTH put out by me toward the end of the Show. He made a total FOOL of himself, his wife and agent begging him not to do it, while also proving to be one of the Worst Hosts in the History of the Academy Awards. WATCH THE CLIP!”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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