Google Gemini was used to research this piece. This Essay was posted on 9/26/2025.
By now the narrative is pretty clear. Jimmy Kimmel remarked at the Charlie Kirk killing and then more or less ridiculed Donald Trump. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr suggested that Jimmy Kimmel should be suspended and said, “We can do this the easy way or the hard way.” Media company Nexstar, needing approval from the FCC for a pending merger deal, had its ABC-TV affiliates drop Jimmy Kimmel’s show. ABC then suspended Kimmel indefinitely. There was an immediate public protest of the Kimmel suspension and talk of boycotting Disney, owner of ABC. After some negotiations, Kimmel’s late-night show was back on the air. Upon Kimmel’s return, Trump said, “I think we’re going to test ABC out on this. …”
Given Donald Trump’s public accusations of Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert, Leticia James, James Comey, Adam Schiff and many others, Trump’s motives are clear. He will break the law to get Jimmy Kimmel off the air.
Free Speech protections in the First Amendment are no joke, especially when the government is involved. The government can’t use its influence to stifle criticism. The government can’t muzzle Kimmel through intimidation because of some critical remarks. In a 2024 case involving the NRA, the Supreme Court ruled that a government official cannot threaten or coerce a business into suppressing free speech.
It is now time to address the elephant in the room. How do we control a government official when the official is the President who has been given broad immunity by the Supreme Court? It is up to we the people.
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