So, Jimmy Kimmel has officially been yanked off air, and this whole thing is not giving Freedom of speech and expression. What did he do? Well, during his monologue, he took a swipe at the MAGA crowd in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, basically accusing them of spinning the tragedy for politics. Cue outrage.
Affiliates started pulling his show, the FCC (with Trump’s fingerprints all over it) stepped in wagging its finger, and ABC folded like a cheap lawn chair. The show is now on “indefinite suspension”—which is code for don’t hold your breath.
Of course, Trump couldn’t resist. He jumped on Truth Social faster than you can say “ratings are down,” congratulating ABC and shading not just Kimmel but Fallon and Seth Meyers too. For him, this isn’t just about Kimmel—it’s a victory lap.
But here’s the tea: this isn’t just about one bad joke (and I don’t think it was a bad joke). It’s about how fragile free speech looks when politics gets involved. Was Kimmel insensitive? Absolutely. But pulling him off air feels less like protecting viewers and more like flexing political muscle. If late-night comedy isn’t safe from cancellation-by-politics, who is?
Messy words aside, the bigger mess is the precedent. And that’s my big worry.
What do you think?
