Barack Obama has weighed in on Disney’s ABC pulling Jimmy Kimmel's late-night talk show off the air over his recent comments about Charlie Kirk. Taking to X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday. The former President of the United States labeled the move "dangerous" and suggested it goes against the First Amendment.
"After years of complaining about cancel culture, the current administration has taken it to a new and dangerous level by routinely threatening regulatory action against media companies unless they muzzle or fire reporters and commentators it doesn’t like," he wrote in his post. "This is precisely the kind of government coercion that the First Amendment was designed to prevent — and media companies need to start standing up rather than capitulating to it."
The move came just hours after the Donald Trump administration publicly called on the company to punish Kimmel. Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr even suggested ABC’s broadcast license was at risk.
As noted by CNBC, Nexstar Media Group also said its ABC-affiliated stations would preempt Kimmel’s show “for the foreseeable future." That move came as the company is seeking the FCC's approval for a merger with Tegna.
Jimmy Kimmel & Charlie Kirk
Charlie Kirk was shot and killed during a speech at Utah Valley University, earlier this month. Authorities have identified a 22-year-old by the name of Tyler Robinson as the prime suspect in the investigation. He is currently residing behind bars.
As for the comments that ABC deemed controversial enough to take Kimmel's show off the air, he said of Tyler Robinson on Monday's episode: “The MAGA Gang is desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and is doing everything they can to score political points from it." He also played a clip of Donald Trump reflecting on Kirk's passing.
Kimmel has yet to comment on the situation, and the future of his talk show remains unclear. Several Democratic politicians and other celebrities have already voiced their support for him.
