U.S. Rep. Barry Moore (R-Enterprise) joined CNN to offer his reaction to comedian Jimmy Kimmel being abruptly pulled off the air earlier this week.
The late-night show host, known for stoking political controversy, attacked the late founder of Turning Point USA, Charlie Kirk, in an opening monologue on Monday evening. Within hours of the broadcast, Kimmel was suspended indefinitely, prompting many to speculate about the timing of ABC's decision.
CNN host Brianna Keilar asked the congressman if Kimmel's removal had anything to do with his comments about Kirk's death.
"If you look at Jimmy's ratings, the last two months, they've gone down 5% per month. And so I think more than anything, that was a business decision," said Moore. "You could talk to Disney and ABC about that, but this seems like to me a business decision. Much like Fox took Tucker Carlson down, they make decisions, and certainly, the audience may move with the host. But that's the audience's choice."
Moore said no one in the federal government forced the move.
"If a host says something that the people who are buying ads are not happy with, and the audience doesn't want to stay tuned, then they have a decision to make from corporate headquarters. Not in Washington, DC. That was made at corporate headquarters, either at Disney or ABC."
Keilar asked what message Kimmel's suspension sends to other late-night hosts and companies.
" You hire good people for your shows who are funny, people who can communicate and who the audience will follow," Moore suggested. "That's the message. Hire good people who will do a good job on the show and make it entertaining."
"Entertainment is not supposed to be some political show. Hire good people who entertain and who do it the right way and draw an audience," he added.
Moore is currently running for the U.S. Senate.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email [email protected].
Don't miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every day.
