Why Did ‘The View’ Ignore Jimmy Kimmel’s Suspension? | Media Silence Explained (2025)

You know how media figures make fun of Fox News when they ignore a huge story that makes President Trump look bad?

Something similar seemed to happen during The View on Thursday, which ignored the biggest media story in the country — Jimmy Kimmel Live! being suspended following the host’s controversial comments about the suspect in Charlie Kirk‘s fatal shooting.

The View panel was dead silent on the blockbuster controversy in their own network’s backyard. The show panel instead devoted their time to riveting topics such as Kash Patel’s congressional hearing and a discussion of RFK Jr.

A source close to the show insists the panel was not forbidden from discussing Kimmel. It’s admittedly possible the panelists opted to self-censor during a period of internal crisis, as it’s difficult to imagine they didn’t find the topic compelling enough to discuss.

Previously, the panel had plenty to say about Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show being canceled next year by CBS amid Colbert’s criticism of Trump during the network parent company’s pending merger with Skydance. But the panel didn’t discuss that news the very next day and instead weighed in only after Colbert addressed it on his show. “It’s always been the role of the court jester to make fun of the king,” Joy Behar said at the time. “That is the role of comedians. I have said on this show years ago, when they start coming for the comedians, all bets are off. Because the king is supposed to take the hits.”

ABC had no comment. The network did briefly cover the news on Good Morning America in a very straightforward manner, though anchor George Stephanopoulos commented at the end of the report, “This threat from the FCC is the latest in a series of moves against the independent media from President Trump and his appointees.”

Clips of that coverage are available on GMA‘s website and on ABCNews.com, but a GMA clip seems to have vanished from YouTube and has not been posted on X, unlike other news items from the show.

ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! following a series of events that rapidly escalated on Wednesday. Kimmel had suggested during a seemingly offhand comment in Monday’s monologue that suspected Kirk shooter Tyler Robinson was a MAGA member. On Wednesday, FCC chair Brendan Carr threatened the licenses of ABC affiliates over the comment, prompting affiliate group Nexstar to declare it would preempt Kimmel’s show. Then ABC announced the show would be suspended “indefinitely.”