JD Vance announces 'new ABC late night host' after Jimmy Kimmel axe

US Vice President JD Vance has made a surprising announcement on X, formerly known as Twitter. He revealed that US Secretary of State Marco Rubiowill be stepping in to fill the shoes ofJimmy Kimmel on ABC.

The network has yet to officially confirm this news, but Vance dropped the bombshell on Thursday morning. This comes just a day after the sudden cancellation of the comedian's long-standing late-night programme, Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Jimmy's show was abruptly axed by the broadcaster following his opening monologue earlier this week,where he mentioned Charlie Kirk.

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In an unexpected turn of events, the VP announced, "Everyone please congratulate @marcorubio, the new host of ABC's late-night show!".

ABC, which is owned by Disney, pulled the plug on Jimmy Kimmel Live! after his comments about the death of right-wing podcaster Charlie Kirk. Specifically, his remarks about the suspected killer and his mockery of Trump's icy response to questions about his associate's death, according to theIrish Star.

Charlie Kirk, the host of the podcast Turning Point, was attending the first event of The American Comeback Tour at Utah Valley University when he was shot in the neck. Officials believe the weapon used was a high-powered rifle.

Kirk did not survive his injuries and has since become a martyr for the Republican Party.

Jimmy declared, "We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA Gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it."

He continued, "In between the finger-pointing, there was grieving.

"On Friday, the White House flew the flags at half staff, which drew some criticism, but on a human level, you can see how hard the president is taking this," he continued, cutting to a clip of Trump being interviewed by the press on the White House lawn talking about the new ballroom when asked about how he was holding up after his friend's death.

"Yes, he's at the fourth stage of grief: construction. This is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he called a friend. This is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish, okay? And it didn't just happen once," Jimmy said, before showing another clip of the president on Fox News talking about the ballroom when asked about how he heard the news of Charlie's death.

The host went on to ask, "Why are we building a $200 million ballroom in the White House? Is it possible that he's doing it intentionally so we can be mad about that instead of the Epstein list?" His sudden dismissal has left the country rattled amid fears over freedom of expression.

Marco Rubio, despite having no previous experience as a television host apart from guest appearances on Fox News and other networks, is rumoured to be taking up the Vice President's post.

However, it remains unconfirmed whether the politician will be hosting his own show on ABC.

In a surprising move, some affiliate stations are planning to broadcast a Charlie Kirk memorial instead of the usual Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Friday during its regular time slot.