Former President Barack Obama has spoken out sharply against ABC’s abrupt decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel Live!, calling it an alarming escalation of government interference in the media. He criticized what he described as the Trump administration’s "dangerous: use of regulatory threats to silence dissenting voices.
“This is precisely the kind of government coercion that the First Amendment was designed to prevent and media companies need to start standing up rather than capitulating to it,” Obama posted on X. “After years of complaining about cancel culture, the current administration has taken it to a new and dangerous level by routinely threatening regulatory action against media companies unless they muzzle or fire reporters and commentators it doesn’t like.”
Obama, who has appeared on Kimmel’s show multiple times, including at a joint Q&A with Joe Biden in Los Angeles last year, didn’t hold back. He shared a Vox article, reposted by Yahoo News, calling the suspension “Trump’s most brazen attack on free speech yet.”
The controversy began after a monologue on Monday in which Kimmel criticized attempts by Trump supporters to distance themselves from the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. “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,” Kimmel said. “And they’re doing everything they can to score political points from it.”
By Wednesday, the fallout had escalated. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr publicly slammed the remarks on Benny Johnson’s podcast and issued a stark ultimatum, “We can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to change conduct, to take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”
Later that day, ABC announced that Jimmy Kimmel Live! would be “pre-empted indefinitely.” The network did not provide a reason. But internally, sources say staff were blindsided, calls were being held with talent publicists just minutes before the announcement. One studio publicist said, “I cannot believe this is real life.” Comedian Wanda Sykes, scheduled to appear that night, wrote, “For those of you who pray, now’s the time to do it.”
Nexstar’s broadcasting president, Andrew Alford, said in a statement, “Kimmel’s comments about Kirk’s death are offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse.” He did not specify which statements crossed the line.
While ABC has not officially canceled Jimmy Kimmel Live!, there is no timeline for its return. Kimmel’s contract runs through May 2026, and neither he nor the network has issued additional comments.
FCC Chairman Carr continued to press his case, suggesting that Kimmel, ABC, and its parent company Disney could be held accountable for “spreading misinformation.” “Local broadcasters have an obligation to serve the public interest,” Carr said. “While this may be an unprecedented decision, it is important for broadcasters to push back on Disney programming that they determine falls short of community values.”
Trump, meanwhile, celebrated the show’s removal. At a press conference during his UK state visit, he told reporters, “He had very bad ratings, and they should have fired him a long time ago.” He added: “He said a horrible thing about a great gentleman known as Charlie Kirk.”
When asked whether free speech was under greater threat in the U.S. or the U.K., Trump said, “He was fired for lack of talent.” Later, on Truth Social, Trump doubled down, “Great News for America: The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED. Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done. Kimmel has ZERO talent, and worse ratings than even Colbert, if that’s possible.”
He added, “That leaves Jimmy and Seth, two total losers, on Fake News NBC. Their ratings are also horrible. Do it NBC!!! President DJT.” For now, Kimmel’s future remains uncertain.