Kat Piantka | Editor-in-Chief
September 26, 2025
On September 15, comedic comments made by Jimmy Kimmel aroused a war on freedom of speech and press, as Americans, regardless of their political stance, recognized a violation of our First Amendment rights and the growing threat of censorship under the Trump Administration. Unfortunately, it took the indefinite suspension of ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ for Americans to wake up to the undemocratic abuses of power happening before us. Kimmel’s controversial comment linking Charlie Kirk’s killer to the MAGA movement, as well as accusing Republicans of trying to score political points, was considered “ill-timed” and “insensitive” according to Disney, the parent company of the ABC network. Disney decided to suspend Kimmel’s show on September 17 during this tense and “emotional moment for our country.”
Coincidentally, Brendan Carr, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman, earlier that day, threatened regulatory action against Kimmel’s broadcasters. He argued, “We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” as he claimed Kimmel “directly misled the American public” in “the sickest conduct possible.”
President Trump hailed the suspension as “great news for America.” However, shockingly, not all Republicans supported the FCC’s involvement and the attack on Kimmel and free speech. Texas Senator Ted Cruz accused Carr of acting like “a mafioso.” Additionally, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul believed the FCC’s involvement was “absolutely inappropriate” and Carr “has got no business weighing in on this.” He also proclaimed if the government gets “involved with speech–[he] will fight.”
Senior Natalie Deyhimy reflected upon the suspension and public reaction as “really controversial,” as it reveals how “divided society is” in the Trump Administration. These reactions towards Kimmel’s suspension reveal that while Americans can disagree on Kimmel’s intended comments, they cannot infringe upon our freedom of speech just because our Administration cannot take a joke.
Kimmel was not the first to be targeted. Popular late-night host Stephen Colbert was similarly squeezed off of CBS for comedy that did not appeal to the Trump Administration. These are not coincidences; they are reflections of a new pattern in this new America. Now, Trump is openly encouraging the NBC network to fire Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers. What’s next, Saturday Night Live? Late-night shows and comedy are not the only forms of entertainment impacted; journalism is also feeling the threat of censorship.
Ironically, President Trump stated in 2022 that “If we don’t have free speech, then we just don’t have a free country. It’s as simple as that. If this most fundamental right is allowed to perish, then the rest of our rights and liberties will topple just like dominoes one by one.”
Senior McPhinneaus Holmes-Selby argues that “there’s a line the executive branch shouldn’t cross and having ties or authority over a privatized broadcasting industry (the FCC) is a clear indication of censorship or attempt in silencing any opposition to the administration.” While Americans may think that censorship from this administration is a stretch, it’s not. In reaction to publicity constantly depicting President Trump in a disparaging light, he exasperatedly whined, “They give me only bad publicity [and] press…maybe their license should be taken away.” Therefore, proving that Trump will go to extreme lengths to ensure Americans believe he is “making America great again” and will censor news that doesn’t portray him in such a manner.
And while the reaction towards the cancellation of ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ may appear to be just a fight from the left, it’s not. All Americans can and should agree unanimously that freedom of speech should not be taken away from us. At one time or another, our President agreed with this belief. This is not a political issue. Americans cannot lose sight of their civil liberties, amidst all of his MAGAnificance. The uproar of support for Kimmel and outrage towards the suspension of his show revealed that if we are united despite our political differences, our voices and the magnitude of our actions will be heard and recognized.
One example of direct action in response was an open letter released on Monday by the American Civil Liberties Union, which had more than 400 celebrity signatures, such as Jennifer Aniston, Robert De Niro, Selena Gomez, Tom Hanks, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Stiller, and Meryl Streep. It addressed Disney’s decision, which represents a “dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation.” Disney suffered a significant financial blow, losing approximately $5 billion in the days following the suspension of Kimmel, and also lost numerous Disney+ and Hulu subscriptions.
As a result, Disney caved into the pressure and ended the suspension on September 22 with Kimmel’s return on the 23rd. Even though the show was not broadcast in 20% of the nation due to Nexstar and Sinclair’s unwillingness to show ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live,’ he had the highest ratings for a regular-season episode in nearly a decade, with over 30 million viewers watching on various platforms.
All eyes were on Kimmel as many anxiously awaited his monologue, and he did not disappoint. His monologue was surprisingly emotional in response to the accusations towards the implications of his comments on the murder of Charlie Kirk. He got choked up as he said that “It was never [his] intention to make light of the murder of a young man [because] violence is not the solution, ever.” Kimmel stood firm on his arguments for free speech and the threat the Trump Administration poses because “This show is not important, what is important is that we get to live in a country that allows us to have a show like this.”
We should reflect and learn from Kimmel’s remark that “the silver lining from this is that we found one thing we can agree on,” that we must fight for our freedom of speech and civil liberties amidst the oppressive Trump regime. Political divides cannot silence us.
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