(NewsNation) — Howard Stern shared his thoughts on ABC suspending Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show after pressure from the Trump administration.
“I don’t know what their plan is, but it looks like they might be firing (him),” Stern said on his SiriusXM show on Monday.
Stern added, “And then I read sometimes that they’re not gonna fire him. I don’t know. I have spoken to Jimmy. I didn’t ask him these questions, I just asked him how he was doing personally.”
Stern’s comments came hours before ABC lifted Kimmel’s suspension, announcing “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” will return Tuesday night.
“We made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation,” Disney said in a statement. “It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive.”
JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE – Walt Disney Television via Getty Images’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” returns to Brooklyn, New York, for five original shows. The guests for Wednesday, October 18 included Howard Stern, musical guest Cardi B and Paul Shaffer sitting in with Cleto and The Cletones. (Randy Holmes/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images) HOWARD STERN, JIMMY KIMMEL 
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 07: Jimmy Kimmel, winner of the Outstanding Host for a Game Show Award for “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire”, attends the 2025 Creative Arts Emmy Awards at Peacock Theater on September 07, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) 
Howard Stern speaks at the 2018 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies in Cleveland. (Photo by Michael Zorn/Invision/AP, File)
On his show, Stern discussed the ramifications of the government hindering free speech.
“I just know when the government begins to interfere, when the government says, ‘I’m not pleased with you,’ so we’re gonna orchestrate a way to silence you,” the radio host said.
“It’s the wrong direction for our country. And I should know. I’ve been involved in something like this and now ABC is put in the same position and it’s unfortunate that ABC even has to be in this position.”
ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show
The ABC network had taken “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” off the air indefinitely on Sept. 18 after comments the late-night host made about the Sept. 10 assassination of Charlie Kirk.
Calls to cancel Disney subscriptions over Jimmy Kimmel suspension
Since Kimmel’s suspension, celebrities, like Stern, have called on people to cancel their Disney+ and Hulu subscriptions.
“Now it might sound stupid, but the thing I did this morning, I’m canceling my Disney+,” the shock jock said. “I’m trying to say with the pocketbook that I do not support what they’re doing with Jimmy.”
“Last Week Tonight” host John Oliver urged his viewers Sunday night to cancel their subscriptions.
“Disney needs to stand by Kimmel and his staff,” Oliver said. “And there are ways you can encourage them to do that, you can apply pressure to them by canceling Disney+ or Hulu.”
Howard Stern stays on the airwaves
Earlier this month, Stern confirmed that he was staying with SiriusXM despite multiple reports this summer saying he wasn’t returning to “The Howard Stern.”