Sanders presses Nexstar to air Jimmy Kimmel as critics accuse broadcasters of yielding to political pressure

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., demanded Nexstar Media Group air Jimmy Kimmel Live! and denounced what he described as political pressure on television stations. Nexstar said it would continue to preempt the ABC-affiliate airings of Kimmel after Disney lifted a suspension tied to controversial comments about the Charlie Kirk assassination. Nexstar’s Burlington, Vermont, station is among those not airing the late-night program.

"Decisions about what Americans watch shouldn't be dictated by political pressure," Sanders wrote on X. "Nexstar must immediately restore Jimmy Kimmel to viewers in Vermont and across the U.S. Broadcasters should not cave in to an authoritarian-type president who can’t accept criticism." He attached a letter to Nexstar CEO Perry Sook in which he argued that his constituents were forced to watch Kimmel online after the broadcast was preempted Tuesday.

In the letter, Sanders asserted that "Decisions about what Vermonters and the American people can and cannot watch on television should not be dictated by political pressure from President Donald Trump, his hand-picked Federal Communications Commission Chair (Brendan Carr), or any other government official, regardless of their ideology." He described the move as "un-American" and a "dangerous precedent for censorship of the media and political speech." He also suggested Nexstar’s stance could be connected to the company’s forthcoming $6 billion merger with Tegna, though he did not outline a direct linkage beyond noting the timing.

The company’s stance has drawn pushback from both sides of the political spectrum. Critics quickly accused Sanders of applying political pressure himself. On X, commentator Sunny accused the senator of government pressure, while others, including Red State writer Bonchie, challenged the premise, saying, "You’re applying political pressure, Bernie." Sanders’ message was widely circulated with the attached letter to Sook, which urged restoration of Kimmel’s program as a matter of public-access television.

The broader dispute centers on Kimmel’s remarks about the alleged involvement of the suspect in what has been described in the reporting as the Charlie Kirk incident. Kimmel had suggested the suspect was part of the MAGA faction, a characterization that rested on statements later contradicted by subsequent reporting and the indictment filed the next day. The late-night host apologized in a tearful monologue after Disney suspended him, saying, in part, that he did not intend to blame a political faction for the violence. Still, Nexstar and Sinclair Broadcast Group decided to continue preempting Kimmel’s show on their ABC stations.

"It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man," Kimmel said in his on-air return, choking back emotion. "Nor was it my intention to blame a specific group for the actions of what was obviously a deeply disturbed individual… I don't think the murderer who shot Charlie Kirk represents anyone. This was a sick person who believed violence was the solution. And it isn't. Ever." Disney had previously suspended him, and Nexstar and Sinclair signaled they would require a "sincere" apology before airing episodes again.

The fallout has extended beyond the late-night stunt. Supporters of Kirk condemned Kimmel’s remarks and pressed Nexstar to maintain the preemption. Andrew Kolvet, a spokesman for Turning Point USA, said, "Kimmel is an unrepentant liar who tried to blame Charlie’s assassination on the part of the country that just spent the last 2 weeks praying and holding vigils." Kolvet added that the network host would need to own the falsehood before audiences could accept any restoration of the show. Advocates for free-speech and press independence similarly argued that broadcasters should not yield to political pressure from any branch of government.

The debate has drawn attention from lawmakers in both chambers. Democratic senators have pressed Nexstar and Sinclair to explain the rationale for continued preemption and warned that blocking a program could run afoul of federal law. In interviews and in letters, they have stressed the importance of maintaining access to a range of perspectives on public issues and the role of broadcasters in serving the public interest rather than political viewpoints. The discussions come as the regulatory and media-merger environment remains unsettled, with potential implications for how networks balance editorial decisions against political pressures.

Kimmel’s return to airwaves on Tuesday marked a high-profile pivot in the ongoing dispute. While he delivered an emotional monologue, he stopped short of a full, explicit apology, a nuance that has left the door open for more negotiations with Nexstar and other groups over how far press flexibility should extend in politically charged moments. The station group’s decision to keep Kimmel off the air in many markets continues to complicate the dynamic between elected officials, media companies, and the evolving expectations of audiences in a polarized political climate.

As the saga unfolds, observers note that the core issue extends beyond one late-night show. It touches the broader question of how politically sensitive content is managed by major broadcasters and how market forces, corporate mergers, and regulatory oversight may shape editorial autonomy in the years ahead. With Nexstar and Sinclair maintaining their preemption, viewers in dozens of markets remain affected while the public, lawmakers, and media critics watch for any substantive movement toward restoring the program across all ABC stations.