Epstein Files Named By Schumer As Possible Reason For Jimmy Kimmel Exit

The sudden cancellation of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” has ignited a storm of speculation across politics and pop culture. Disney and Nexstar Media Group confirmed this week that the late-night talk show, a staple on ABC for over two decades, would be pulled “for the foreseeable future” following Jimmy Kimmel’s controversial remarks about Charlie Kirk’s death. The decision sparked outrage among fans and divided critics, but the drama took an even sharper turn when Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer suggested Jeffrey Epstein may have been the real reason behind the cancellation.

Senator Chuck Schumer set social media ablaze on Thursday with an eyebrow-raising post on X. In all caps, the Senate Minority Leader asked, “IS EPSTEIN THE REAL REASON TRUMP HAD KIMMEL CANCELED?!”

The post included a screenshot from The New York Times that highlighted how late-night hosts, including Kimmel, had been roasting President Donald Trump with jokes pulled from the newly released Epstein documents. Schumer’s insinuation quickly lit up political Twitter, fueling conspiracy chatter that Kimmel’s cancellation was about much more than his Kirk comments.

Despite the speculation, Nexstar Media Group, the company that owns several ABC affiliates, insisted the cancellation was about Jimmy Kimmel’s comments, not politics or ratings.

“Mr. Kimmel’s comments about the death of Mr. Kirk are offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse,” said Andrew Alford, Nexstar’s broadcasting chief. “Continuing to give Mr. Kimmel a broadcast platform in the communities we serve is simply not in the public interest at the current time.”

The Federal Communications Commission also entered the conversation. Commissioner Brendan Carr praised Nexstar and other local affiliates for removing Kimmel’s program, applauding the decision as one that prioritized “the interests of their community.”

Donald Trump, who has long been a target of Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night barbs, doubled down on his disdain during a press conference in the United Kingdom alongside Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

“Jimmy Kimmel was fired ’cause he had bad ratings more than anything else,” Trump declared. “He said a horrible thing about a great gentleman known as Charlie Kirk. And Jimmy Kimmel is not a talented person … they shoulda fired him a long time ago.”

While Trump celebrated the cancellation, several of Kimmel’s late-night peers stood in solidarity with the suspended host. On Thursday, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, and Seth Meyers all used their platforms to weigh in on the controversy, mixing humor with pointed criticism.

“To be honest with you all, I don’t know what’s going on. And no one does,” Fallon admitted to his audience. “But I do know Jimmy Kimmel, and he’s a decent, funny, and loving guy, and I hope he comes back.”

Colbert struck a more serious note, blasting the suspension as “blatant censorship,” while Stewart zeroed in on ABC’s decision itself. Meyers, meanwhile, rattled off tongue-in-cheek compliments for Donald Trump before pointing out what he called the administration’s hypocrisy on free speech.