Former U.S. president Barack Obama criticized the Trump administration for what he called censorship and hypocrisy after comedian Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show was suspended. Obama stated that the current administration has escalated cancel culture by pressuring media outlets to silence or dismiss reporters and commentators it disagrees with. The suspension of Kimmel’s show was announced by ABC, which is owned by Walt Disney, following controversial remarks made by Kimmel in response to the assassination of Charlie Kirk. The move received backlash from the head of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
In a post shared on social media, Obama referenced an article by Zack Beauchamp titled ‘Let’s be clear about what happened to Jimmy Kimmel,’ where Beauchamp argued that Kimmel was taken off the air due to pressure from the Trump administration.
President Trump, during a press conference with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, addressed the situation involving Kimmel, attributing the suspension to low ratings and inappropriate remarks made by Kimmel about Charlie Kirk. Trump stated that Kimmel should have been fired earlier due to a lack of talent.