Jimmy Kimmel Falls to Trump's Free Speech Crackdown

Trump's Prediction Comes True as Kimmel's Show Is Pre-Empted

In a dramatic turn of events, Donald Trump’s earlier prediction about late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel facing similar fates to Stephen Colbert has come true. After Colbert’s show was canceled in July, Trump had claimed that both Fallon and Kimmel would soon be in the same position. He told reporters at the White House, “Fallon has no talent. Kimmel has no talent. They’re next. They’re going.” This statement now appears to have foreshadowed the recent developments involving Kimmel.

On Wednesday, ABC announced that Kimmel’s late-night show would be pre-empted indefinitely. The decision came just hours after several ABC affiliates, including Nexstar, the largest owner of local stations in the country, stated they would refuse to air Kimmel’s program. This refusal was due to comments Kimmel made on Monday regarding the motives of the man authorities say fatally shot Charlie Kirk. Kimmel suggested the suspect was part of the MAGA movement, which led to significant backlash.

The timing of this announcement was notable, as it occurred just hours after Brendan Carr, Trump’s handpicked Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman, appeared on a podcast. Carr warned that ABC could face consequences if it did not take action against Kimmel. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” he said. “These companies can find ways to change conduct and take actions on Kimmel, or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.” Shortly after this warning, ABC made its decision to pre-empt Kimmel’s show.

This incident is part of a broader pattern of Trump’s efforts to control the media and limit free speech. Over the past week, there have been reports of the administration targeting left-leaning groups and nonprofits. Additionally, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche suggested using criminal anti-racketeering laws to go after protesters who heckle Trump.

The strategy mirrors tactics used by authoritarian leaders in countries like Hungary, Turkey, and Russia. In these nations, governments have taken control of the media landscape by acquiring major outlets and limiting dissenting voices. For example, in Hungary, the oldest newspaper was shuttered in 2016 after being bought by a businessman linked to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Similarly, in Turkey, major media brands are controlled by entities close to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Russia also exemplifies this trend, where oligarchs aligned with President Vladimir Putin control much of the media, and wartime restrictions have further limited independent journalism. In each case, the approach involves more than just arresting critics; it involves making it nearly impossible to access alternative viewpoints by controlling the media.

In the U.S., the situation is becoming increasingly concerning. In July, Trump’s FCC approved the sale of Paramount and CBS to Skydance Media, controlled by Larry Ellison, a pro-Trump tech billionaire. This deal included a $16 million payment from Paramount to settle a lawsuit against CBS News and “60 Minutes.” Additionally, diversity and inclusion programs were eliminated, and a conservative executive was placed to monitor CBS News for political bias.

Following this, CBS canceled Colbert’s top-rated late-night show, which had been critical of Trump. Recently, Ellison’s company made another bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns CNN. Meanwhile, a deal was announced to give Americans an 80% stake in TikTok, involving Ellison’s company Oracle and Marc Andreessen’s venture capital firm.

If these deals proceed, it would mean significant consolidation of media ownership under Trump allies. The Murdoch family would control Fox News, The Wall Street Journal, and other properties, while the Ellison family would own TikTok, CBS, and CNN. Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos would also gain control over X and The Washington Post, respectively.

As the Trump administration threatens government intervention against free speech, it simultaneously facilitates the sale of major media outlets to allies. This strategy represents a clear attempt to consolidate power over free expression and shape the narrative to align with the administration’s interests.