Trump welcomes Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension, urges action against critical broadcasters

LOS ANGELES, Sept 19 — US President Donald Trump on Thursday praised the suspension of talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel and suggested television networks should risk losing their licenses over critical coverage of his administration, intensifying a national debate over free speech.

Kimmel has been drawn into Trump’s campaign to punish detractors of slain right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, who was shot while addressing a crowd at a Utah university on September 10. Since then, Trump and his supporters have warned that Americans must properly mourn Kirk or face repercussions.

ABC, owned by Walt Disney, announced Wednesday it was suspending Jimmy Kimmel Live! indefinitely after conservatives condemned the comedian’s Monday monologue. The move was criticized by writers, entertainers, former President Barack Obama and others, who accused the network of yielding to unconstitutional political pressure.

On Thursday, about 150 demonstrators gathered outside the Hollywood studio where the show is recorded, carrying signs that read “Don’t Bend a Knee to Trump,” “Resist Fascism,” “Douse the Mouse,” and “Cancel Disney+.”

The controversy followed Trump to Britain, where he appeared alongside Prime Minister Keir Starmer and dismissed Kimmel as “untalented” for mocking Kirk, whom Trump described as “a great gentleman.”

In his nine-minute monologue, Kimmel accused Kirk’s allies of exploiting the assassination for political gain and ridiculed Trump for promoting his new White House ballroom while discussing Kirk’s death. “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,” Kimmel said.

A 22-year-old technical college student in Utah has been charged with Kirk’s murder.

Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has used his position and the courts to target critical speech, labeling it defamatory or false. He has also renewed threats to revoke broadcast licenses, which are issued by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), an independent regulator.

Kimmel’s suspension followed FCC Chair Brendan Carr’s warning of an investigation into his remarks about Kirk, with station owners soon declaring they would no longer air the program. Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump complained about negative coverage, saying, “That’s something that should be talked about for licensing…. All they do is hit Trump. Maybe their license should be taken away. It will be up to Brendan Carr.”

Federal law bars the FCC from revoking licenses based on unfavorable coverage.

Kimmel has nonetheless become the most prominent figure to face consequences in the week since Kirk’s death, joining academics, teachers and media professionals criticized by conservatives as disrespectful toward Kirk. Democrats called Trump’s actions an attack on First Amendment rights, while Republicans defended their efforts as a fight against “hate speech” that could fuel violence.

Obama joins backlash

Obama urged media companies not to give in to government intimidation. “After years of decrying cancel culture, the current administration has escalated it by threatening regulatory action against media outlets unless they silence reporters and commentators it dislikes,” he said in a statement.

Writers’ and actors’ unions denounced the move as unconstitutional suppression of dissent, while the American Civil Liberties Union accused the administration of seeking to “silence its critics and control what the American people watch and read.”

At the Hollywood protest, motorists honked in support as demonstrators spilled into the street. “This country is going in a really wrong direction,” protester Laura Brenner said. “When people can’t make fun of the administration, you know that we’re really going down a dark road.”

Kirk’s death drew mourning from fans who saw him as a champion of conservative values, though critics pointed to his Christian nationalist views and derogatory remarks about immigrants, African Americans and transgender people.

Hours before ABC’s suspension announcement, Carr said on a podcast that local broadcasters should stop airing Kimmel’s show. Nexstar and Sinclair Broadcast Group, two of the nation’s largest station owners with pending FCC merger approvals, subsequently confirmed they would drop the program.

ABC later confirmed Kimmel’s indefinite suspension, which affects its eight FCC-licensed stations in major markets including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston and Philadelphia. The decision was made by Disney CEO Bob Iger and Disney Entertainment Co-Chair Dana Walden, a source said. — Reuters