Late-night comedy hosts picked on the Trump administration shortly after Jimmy Kimmel’s show was pulled off the air due to his remarks about Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
Jon Stewart made a comeback on “The Daily Show” with a show labeled as “government approved,” humorously dubbing President Donald Trump as “Our Great Father” and “Dear Leader.” He joked about Trump’s recent UK trip and showed a reporter questioning if Kimmel’s situation indicated a threat to free speech in America.
“How dare you, sir! How dare you, sir!” Stewart bellowed. “What outfit are you with, sir, the Antifa-Herald Tribune?”
The audience reacted negatively, causing Stewart to hurriedly try to quiet them down. Correspondents chimed in collectively, effusively praising the president in a manner reminiscent of a dictatorship’s show of unyielding support.
Disney announced that it was putting “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on hold after Kimmel commented on the individual accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk. FCC Chair Brendan Carr hinted at taking measures in response.
“This weekend hit new lows, with the MAGA crowd bending over backward to dissociate from the young man who killed Charlie Kirk and trying to manipulate the situation for political gain,” Kimmel stated during his Monday night monologue.
Kirk was fatally shot at a Utah university on Sept. 10 by a gunman who fired from a rooftop, officials said.
Stephen Colbert, facing the cancellation of his “Late Night” show by CBS—a decision seen by critics as politically motivated—voiced his support for Kimmel and his team.
“That is blatant censorship, and it always starts small,” Colbert said, and he referred to the administration’s effort to rename the Gulf of Mexico. “And if ABC thinks this is going to satisfy the regime, they are woefully naive.”
NBC’s Jimmy Fallon cracked a couple of jokes on Thursday’s episode of “The Tonight Show” and then became serious for a moment.
“To be honest with you all, I don’t know what’s going on. And no one does,” he said. “But I do know Jimmy Kimmel, and he’s a decent, funny and loving guy, and I hope he comes back.”
Fallon, who then vowed the show wouldn’t be censored, proceeded to describe Trump’s U.K. visit but with another voice dubbing only positive messages. NBC is a division of NBCUniversal, which is also the parent company of NBC News.
Kirk’s assassination sparked a furious response and finger-pointing, with some on the right blaming the left and calling for retribution. The suspect’s mother told authorities he had “started to lean more left,” according to a probable cause statement. A text message purported to be from the suspect released by authorities says he “had enough of his hatred,” referring to Kirk.
The chain of events Wednesday that ended with the show’s being pulled appeared to begin when Carr went on right-wing podcaster Benny Johnson’s show and called for Kimmel to be suspended. He threatened there could be punishment for companies if they don’t “find ways to take action on Kimmel.”
Carr has cited a “public interest” obligation for broadcast license holders.
Hours later, Nexstar Media Group announced its ABC affiliates would pre-empt Kimmel’s show. Disney, which owns ABC, then announced that it was pulling the show off the air indefinitely.
Nexstar is awaiting FCC approval for a $6.2 billion acquisition of Tegna.
Trump suggested Thursday that action could be taken against other networks.
“If they’re 97% against, they give me only bad publicity, or press — I mean, they’re getting a license. I would think maybe their license should be taken away,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One. “It will be up to Brendan Carr.”
The FCC licenses individual broadcast stations but not TV or radio networks, such as ABC.
There was swift reaction to the suspension of Kimmel’s show, including from former President Barack Obama and legendary late-night talk show host David Letterman, as well as others who criticized the decision as an attack on free speech.
On ABC, where Kimmel’s show normally appears, an episode of “Family Feud” aired instead Thursday.
