'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' row: Late-night host refused to apologise, reports say; planned to 'double down' on attacks against Trump's MAGA base

Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel said he would not apologise for remarks blaming MAGA supporters for the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk — and instead planned to double down on his attacks against US President Donald Trump’s backers before being pulled off the air, according to reports.

Kimmel learned in a phone call from top Disney executive Dana Walden on Wednesday afternoon, after his Monday night monologue, that his show was being removed indefinitely, Deadline reported, citing sources.

During the call, the 57-year-old host refused to apologise despite pressure from critics and from owners of dozens of affiliate stations of Disney-owned ABC, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Kimmel told executives he did not believe his remarks warranted an apology and maintained that his comments had been “misinterpreted.”

Sources said Kimmel had been prepared to clarify his remarks on air, insisting he was referring to the “MAGA gang” for “desperately” trying to link accused gunman Tyler Robinson to left-wing ideology. Robinson, 22, has been indicted for the September 10 murder of Kirk at a university campus in Utah.

Disney executives, however, feared that allowing Kimmel to double down on his MAGA comments would require a “more drastic decision” than simply suspending the show. The company also attracted criticism from Federal Communications Commission chairman Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee, whose “warning” was played a major role in ABC's decision to pull the programme off air.

The move to suspend "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" has itself sparked widespread condemnation.