Hollywood, United States

Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show was pulled from the air Wednesday hours after the US government threatened to cancel broadcasting licenses because of comments the host made about the killing of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk.

The stunning move by network ABC to remove one of America's most influential late-night shows was blasted by critics as government censorship, but celebrated by Donald Trump, who has long chaffed at the comedians who mock him.

"Great News for America," he wrote on his Truth Social page.

"Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done."

Trump, who also rejoiced in July at the cancellation of Kimmel's fellow late-night satirist Stephen Colbert, then urged that two other comedians be removed.

"That leaves Jimmy (Fallon) and Seth (Meyers), two total losers, on Fake News NBC. Their ratings are also horrible. Do it NBC!!!"

In Hollywood, where Kimmel's show is recorded, audience members were turned away at the door before taping began Wednesday.

Tommy Williams, a longshoreman from Florida, told AFP the move felt un-American.

"Any show that's on TV that speaks out against Donald Trump, he's trying to shut down," the 51-year-old said.

"We're losing our freedom of speech. This is something that happens in Russia and North Korea and China, state-run TVs stuff."

- FCC threat -

The furor comes a week after Kirk, a close Trump ally, was shot dead on a Utah university campus, setting off a bitter battle over responsibility in deeply polarized America, with conservatives -- including Trump -- blaming "the radical left."

Authorities this week said 22-year-old Tyler Robinson was the lone gunman, and brought a murder charge against him.

On Monday, Kimmel spoke about the shooting in his show-opening monologue.

"The MAGA gang (is) 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," said Kimmel, referring to the president's "Make America Great Again" movement.

He then showed footage of Trump pivoting from a question about how he had been affected by Kirk's death to boasting about the new ballroom he is building at the White House, prompting laughter from the studio audience.

"This is not how an adult grieves the murder of somebody called a friend. This is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish," said Kimmel.

On Wednesday, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr openly threatened the license of ABC affiliates who broadcast Kimmel's show.

"I think it's past time these (affiliates) themselves push back... and say, 'Listen, we're not going to run Kimmel anymore until you straighten this out because we're running the possibility of license revocation from the FCC,'" he told right-wing podcaster Benny Johnson.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to change conduct and take action, frankly, on Kimmel or there's going to be additional work for the FCC ahead."

Hours later, Nexstar, one of the country's biggest owners of ABC affiliate stations, announced it would be removing the show from its stations.

Nexstar is in the middle of a multi-billion dollar merger with a rival that will require FCC approval.

ABC -- which is owned by Disney -- then followed suit, pulling the show nationwide.

Kimmel did not immediately comment, and representatives for the entertainer did not respond to AFP queries.

- 'They are censoring you' -

The White House has fired several broadsides against cultural institutions it views as hostile to Trump's brand of right-wing nationalism.

Law firms, universities and the media have all been targeted, including with lawsuits that legal experts say are meritless, but which nevertheless have resulted in huge payments.

ABC and Paramount-owned CBS have both coughed up.

The settlements -- which are to be paid to Trump's future presidential library -- were seen as being motivated by the desire of the news organizations' parent companies to stay in Trump's good graces.

Democrats were quick to connect the dots on Wednesday.

"President Trump and FCC Chair Carr made it clear: fall in line or be silenced," US Senator Ben Ray Lujan posted on X.

"Buying and controlling media platforms. Firing commentators. Canceling shows. These aren't coincidences. It's coordinated. And it's dangerous," wrote California Governor Gavin Newsom.

"They are censoring you in real time."

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© Agence France-Presse