ABC's suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! has ignited a nationwide debate over free speech, with critics accusing President Donald Trump and his allies of orchestrating a campaign to silence dissenting voices in the media. The network pulled the long-running late-night program after several ABC-affiliated stations said they would refuse to air it, citing Kimmel's remarks about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom called the move "coordinated" and "dangerous," warning that "they are censoring you in real time." Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said "everybody across the political spectrum should be speaking out to stop what's happening to Jimmy Kimmel." Fellow Democrat Chris Murphy said the White House was using Kirk's murder "as a pretext to wipe out Trump's critics and his political opponents."
The decision comes amid mounting pressure from the Trump administration on broadcasters. Brendan Carr, the Trump-appointed chair of the Federal Communications Commission, suggested on a podcast earlier Wednesday that suspending Kimmel could be an "appropriate action." Hours later, ABC announced the indefinite suspension. Conservative commentator Benny Johnson, who hosted the interview, celebrated online, writing, "It's called soft power... thanks to President Trump, the Right has learned how to wield power as well."
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression said the timing "tells the whole story," adding: "Another media outlet withered under government pressure... we cannot be a country where late night talk show hosts serve at the pleasure of the president."
Free speech advocates have likened the episode to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's consolidation of media control. Gábor Scheiring, a former Hungarian lawmaker and now assistant professor at Georgetown University Qatar, said the events were "very familiar," comparing ABC's decision and last summer's CBS cancellation of Stephen Colbert's Late Show to Orbán's strategy of using "autocratic carrots and sticks" to push media owners into compliance.
Scheiring warned that media owners who individually capitulate "enable systematic capture." He added that personally targeted campaigns "raise the cost of speaking up and speaking out," a tactic common in Hungary's democratic backsliding.
Disney, ABC's parent company, previously settled Trump's defamation lawsuit rather than fight it in court, while Paramount reached a settlement with Trump over CBS last year. Trump is now suing The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times and has encouraged networks to cancel other late-night hosts, including Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers.
Comedians and actors rallied to Kimmel's defense. Wanda Sykes posted a video saying, "Trump didn't end the Ukraine War or solve Gaza within his first week, but he did end freedom of speech within his first year." Michael Kosta of The Daily Show called the decision "a serious moment in American history," and Paul Scheer highlighted the double standard of what content stays on air.
Public interest groups also raised concerns about the role of station owners Nexstar and Sinclair, both of which pulled Kimmel before ABC's network-wide decision. Sinclair executives have previously pledged loyalty to Trump, raising questions about political influence over programming.
Kimmel's suspension follows a wave of firings and censure targeting teachers, journalists, public employees and others accused of posting insensitive commentary about Kirk's death. Vice President JD Vance said on Kirk's podcast that people who celebrate the activist's killing should be reported to their employers, calling it a matter of "civility."
