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Late Night Host Comments On Kimmel Decision
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Late Night Host Comments On Kimmel Decision

The media circus surrounding the indefinite suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s ABC show has spiraled into yet another showcase of ideological blindness and constitutional confusion from the left. Following Kimmel’s deeply inflammatory and ultimately false insinuation that Charlie Kirk’s alleged assassin was part of the “MAGA gang,” ABC affiliates — not the government — took action. And rightly so.

Yet predictably, liberal media figures and Democratic commentators are racing to paint this as a Trump-era assault on free speech, attempting to bootstrap the suspension into some kind of federal overreach — what they’re calling “state action.” But there’s just one glaring problem with that narrative: it never happened.


ABC’s decision, as well as those of its affiliates Nexstar and Sinclair, were private-sector responses to a private citizen's speech. Not government censorship. Not a First Amendment violation. Just consequences.

Sinclair, in particular, made their position crystal clear: unless and until Jimmy Kimmel issues a public apology for the misleading and incendiary comments he made in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, his show will not return to their lineup. In the meantime, they’re airing a commemoration for Kirk during Kimmel’s regular time slot — a powerful editorial decision that speaks louder than any press release.

But instead of acknowledging that a private company has every right to refuse to platform content it deems repugnant or false, the media Left is flailing. CNN’s S.E. Cupp called the entire situation “frightening and shameful,” claiming the administration is “systematically killing free speech.” Greg Gutfeld wasn’t having it — pointing out the irony that the only person who was truly silenced was Charlie Kirk, not Jimmy Kimmel.


Fox’s Jessica Tarlov also chimed in, hand-wringing about how “free speech advocates on the right have a lot of heavy lifting to do.” Gutfeld’s response was swift and sharp: “Pretty easy lift. You have a right to be wrong. The company you work for has a right to pull you for it.”

That’s not authoritarianism. That’s accountability.

What the left refuses to admit is that free speech doesn’t mean speech without consequence. Kimmel exercised his right to say something reckless. ABC and its affiliates exercised their right to disassociate. No one was jailed, fined, or silenced by the government. There was no “state action,” no FCC takedown order, and no executive mandate from Trump.


The only thing suspended here was the assumption that elite media figures can say whatever they want, no matter how untrue or inflammatory, and face no consequences.

That era may finally be over.

Kimmel’s fans may wail about “cancel culture,” but let’s be clear: this isn’t about politics. It’s about truth. A man — a father, a leader — was murdered. And within 24 hours, Kimmel used that tragedy to score cheap political points, deliberately misleading his audience about who was responsible.

Written by Arthur Higgens - September 19, 2025