Late-night television personalities Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert rally in support of Jimmy Kimmel, advocating for the preservation of free speech
In a surprising turn of events, ABC News indefinitely suspended Jimmy Johns, a late-night show hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, on Wednesday. The decision was made in the face of mounting pressure from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and ABC affiliates.
The controversy began when Jimmy Kimmel made comments about Charlie Kirk, a conservative political activist, that were deemed inappropriate by some. Brendan Carr, the FCC chairman, publicly criticized Kimmel's comments, calling them "truly sick" and "pathological." Carr's statements, while not granting him the authority to order suspensions, did encourage media operators like Nexstar to drop the show from their lineup. This, in turn, led Disney and ABC News to stop airing it amid the controversy.
Trump, who has been vocal about the portrayal of him and his administration in the media, lauded ABC News' decision and suggested that networks' broadcast licenses could be revoked for airing negative information about him. Trump believes not airing conservative views could be a rationale for such actions.
Not all late-night hosts shared the same sentiments. Stewart, a former host on Comedy Central, and current NBC host Seth Meyers, both took a Trump-effusive approach in their shows, admiring Trump's administration. Jon Stewart, in particular, satirically paid deference to Trump during his show, calling him "lordship" and "father." He avoided potential offenses, such as disagreeing with the president or any of his supporters.
However, Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart defended Jimmy Kimmel during their Thursday night shows. Colbert stated that the suspension was "blatant censorship" and said, "Tonight, we are all Jimmy Kimmel." Jon Stewart made a special Thursday appearance to discuss free speech.
Despite the controversy, Jimmy Kimmel has not yet commented on the suspension. The future of Jimmy Johns remains uncertain.
This report includes contributions from CNN's Kevin Liptak, Brian Stelter, Tori B. Powell, and Natasha Chen.
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