Jimmy Kimmel Live! It’s back on ABC after a week-long suspension following comments made by host Jimmy Kimmel about the death of right-wing conservative Charlie Kirk. This incident has started a debate over censorship and free speech in the media.
It has also called for debate on the influence of politics or political figures intervening in the media. The theme of canceling late-night shows began in July, when CBS announced it would end The Late Show with Stephen Colbert next year.
Jimmy Kimmel Live! was brought back on Sept. 23 by ABC, only a week after the program’s suspension. His comeback episode attracted a massive audience, achieving the program’s highest ratings ever. “Kimmel’s comeback pulled in broadcast viewers to the tune of 6.3 million — more than three-and-a-half times his average viewership in the second quarter of this year. That’s despite the show being blacked out for about 23% of American households, after Nexstar and Sinclair opted to keep it off the air.”
What is the reason for the suspension? On Sept. 15, Kimmel made a joke during his opening monologue about Trump supporters, “many in MAGA land are working very hard to capitalize on the murder of Charlie Kirk.” Many of Kirk’s and Trump’s supporters found this comment offensive, inappropriate, and misleading. This statement comes after Kirk was shot and killed in Utah in early September. After receiving backlash from the right side, ABC then decided to suspend the show indefinitely.
In July, CBS announced that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert would end in May of 2026, after stating that the show had low viewership and financial issues. Many viewers perceived this as an attack on free speech because of the comments Colbert made about the agreement between Paramount Global and President Trump. “Paramount Global decided to pay Trump $16 million to settle a lawsuit regarding editing at CBS’s storied “60 Minutes” news program.” Then, two days later, the late-night show got cancelled by CBS with claims of a business decision.
President Donald Trump celebrated the suspension of the Kimmel show as he called Kimmel “not a talented person.” He also stated that some TV networks should have their licenses revoked for being “against him,” emphasizing that Jimmy Fallon should be next.
Former President Barack Obama spoke on X about the suspension of the late-night show.
Why was Kimmel’s monologue criticized as “hate speech?” The comments are protected under political expression, and the joke was not a direct attack but more of a comedic comment. Kirk did make comments targeting individuals and groups, such as immigrants, the LGBTQ+ community, women, and people of color, such as saying, “Black people were better off in slavery and subjugation before the 1940s … It was bad & it was evil, but they committed less crimes.” Everyone has the right to free speech, but one should know the difference between protected expression and hate speech, especially when the speech turns into extremism and socialism.
Not only has this been an attack on the media, but also on civilians. Following Kirk’s death, many individuals faced consequences at their workplaces, including job loss. This comes after many people posted and commented on social media about the Kirk incident. This was perceived as an attack on free speech, leaving individuals discouraged from engaging in open discussions. The First Amendment does protect the freedom of speech, press, religion, assembly, and petition. This Amendment protects people’s right to speak freely, as the Government cannot punish people just because their words are offensive. What is not protected under this is speech of true and violent threats, defamation, obscenity, and incitement. Protected speech is being censored and punished, while the government turns a blind eye to actual threats and violence in our country.
