Bill Maher slams The View for not addressing Jimmy Kimmel suspension from ABC

Bill Maher used his weekly Real Time With Bill Maher to call out The View for not addressing Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension from ABC, the network that also carries The View and Jimmy Kimmel Live. During Friday’s broadcast, Maher noted the absence of coverage on the network’s daytime talk shows and pointed out that he has had friendly exchanges with The View’s panel, only to say, “they didn’t say anything about this, this week. Nothing.” He then teased the show’s reputation for avoiding hot-button issues, joking that The View is “an upbeat party show” and even quipping about the anchors—Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin and Whoopi Goldberg—by name.

Maher pressed the hosts to address the situation and offered a blunt, if cheeky, invitation: “Girls, go out strong, OK? It won’t kill you, I promise.” He argued that a climate of intimidation on the right has chilled discussion across talk shows, calling out what he described as a culture of fear among showrunners and hosts. In a moment designed to land with the audience, Maher turned to a dig at former President Donald Trump, telling the crowd, “Have you lost weight? You look terrific,” a line he delivered as the audience reacted with laughter and cheers. He added that he is not intimidated by regulators and suggested the moment could test the resolve of other programs facing similar scrutiny.

The suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live came after a controversial remark about the late Charlie Kirk, a move that drew outrage from the FCC and ABC’s broadcast affiliates and led to Kimmel’s program being suspended indefinitely. The action has fed broader conversations about the boundaries of satire on network television and the regulatory oversight of talk-show content. In the wake of the decision, FCC head Brendan Carr said it could be worthwhile to look into whether The View is violating FCC regulations, underscoring how regulators are watching the network’s portfolio as this episode unfolds.

ABC and its affiliates have not publicly detailed any additional actions tied to the incident, and representatives for The View have not issued public commentary on Maher’s remarks or the suspension. The broader industry context highlights ongoing tension between incendiary commentary and corporate risk management in both late-night and daytime formats. As Maher’s comments echo online and on other programs, observers will be watching to see whether The View responds and how ABC weighs the balance between provocative conversation and regulatory considerations.

The episode serves as a reminder of the interconnected nature of television across ABC’s slate—from late-night to daytime shows—and the ways in which producers, hosts and executives navigate public accountability under closer regulatory scrutiny. While Maher’s comments are consistent with his brand of outspoken critique, the longer-term implications for ABC’s talk-show lineup remain uncertain as the industry catalogs responses and potential policy signals from regulators.