The removal of Jimmy Kimmel from his 23-year running show, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on September 17, was un-American and had little to do with the comedian himself or what he said about the shooting of a young man, but rather revealed the unprecedented infringement of free speech that was guided by President Trump.
Kimmel’s suspension faced so much backlash from singers, actors, comedians, and more, American or not, who, no matter their differences in political opinion, united for one reason: the importance of free speech and the validity of their First Amendment rights.
Kimmel was removed from the air for commenting on Charlie Kirk’s shooter and poking fun at the President, which sparked controversy within the ABC network in addition to the President’s posts on his social media platform, Truth Social.
Kimmel played clips during his show of Trump, who, when asked how he was holding up with the loss of his friend, said, “I think very good,” and then proceeded to talk about the trucks constructing a new 200 million dollar ballroom. Kimmel made Trump look unintelligent, resulting in the suspension of his show.
After the suspension, Hollywood showed united discontent with the move, acknowledging it as unconstitutional and un-American. 400 well-known celebrities signed a letter backing Kimmel, written by the ACLU, including iconic figures like Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Robert DeNiro, and hundreds of others. Late-night show hosts united by advocating for the return of Kimmel’s show and pointing out the constitutional violations. After six days of unity against ABC, against Trump for his reactions that so apparently violated the First Amendment, and who spoke so lowly of Kimmel and other beloved show hosts, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” came back on air on September 23rd.
An hour before the show aired, Trump posted on Truth Social, “Last time I went after [ABC], they gave me $16 Million. This one sounds even more lucrative. A true bunch of losers! Let Jimmy Kimmel rot in his bad Ratings.” Kimmel responded live on his show with a smile on his face, saying, “Well, I do tonight,” talking about his ratings. The show on YouTube broke its record for the number of viewers.
The return of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” was utilized by MAGA as proof that the show’s suspension was not related to the government. “He’s back tomorrow,” said Fox News host Kayleigh McEnany. “So, quite clearly, the government didn’t force this.”
Kimmel’s return was greeted with multiple lengthy standing ovations. His performance was admirably honest and vulnerable. He called the President and his cabinet authoritarian, called attention to the fact that Trump is censoring journalists, and called out Trump multiple times directly for his anti-American actions.
Kimmel thanked other late-night hosts for their public support and kind words, both American and not. He thanked Ted Cruz, a far-right conservative politician with whom he shares little to no common beliefs, but who spoke out for Kimmel’s right to freedom of speech anyway.
Addressing his comments regarding Kirk’s shooter as MAGA that were supposedly the reason he was taken off air, Kimmel, in tears, said, “It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man,” sharing his compassion for his wife and children.
Kimmel addressed Erika Kirk’s forgiveness of the man who shot her husband as an admirable example that should be the takeaway from the recent news controversy regarding his show and Kirk’s death.
Kimmel shared his gratitude towards Disney for defending his right to speech by allowing him to be on their network, shared his discontent with Sinclair, owner of ABC, for not broadcasting the show in so many regions, and ultimately said, “Our leader celebrates Americans losing their livelihoods because he can’t take a joke.”
Harvard government professor, expert on the breakdown of democracy and author of How Democracies Die, Steve Levitsky, came into his lecture the day Kimmel’s show was suspended and told his class he did not know how to emphasize it enough– this is a textbook sign of authoritarianism. He told the domestic students in his class that this is the time to speak out, this is a critical moment for the future of democracy.
