Former President Barack Obama and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) condemned the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show, calling it an alarming example of government coercion after threats from the Trump administration.
ABC and Nexstar Media Group pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Wednesday following Kimmel’s comments linking the Charlie Kirk assassination suspect to President Donald Trump. FCC Chair Brendan Carr had warned affiliates they could face regulatory consequences if they continued to air the program.
Obama accused the administration of hypocrisy, noting that Trump and his allies spent years railing against “cancel culture” only to use government pressure to silence critics. “This is precisely the kind of government coercion that the First Amendment was designed to prevent,” he wrote on X. Schumer labeled Carr “one of the greatest threats to free speech America has ever seen” and demanded his resignation.
Comedians Wanda Sykes and Marc Maron also blasted the move, warning it sets a precedent for silencing dissent. Kimmel has long been targeted by conservatives, but critics say punishing broadcasters under threat of FCC action represents a dangerous escalation.
The controversy underscores the irony of a movement that denounces censorship while using state power to enforce it — a clash of principles at the heart of today’s free speech debate.
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