Trump Celebrates Jimmy Kimmel’s Suspension, Targets Fallon and Meyers Next
Trump Declares “Great News for America”
Donald Trump is drunk on power, and he’s not hiding it. Hours after ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! indefinitely, the former president jumped onto Truth Social to gloat not just about Kimmel’s silencing, but to demand the heads of more late-night rivals.
“Great News for America: The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED,” Trump wrote. “Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done. Kimmel has ZERO talent, and worse ratings than even Colbert, if that’s possible. That leaves Jimmy and Seth, two total losers, on Fake News NBC. Their ratings are also horrible. Do it NBC!!!”
The post was more than celebratory. It was a directive, a sitting president once again using political muscle to bully corporate media and dictate what jokes Americans are allowed to hear.
Why ABC Caved So Quickly
ABC announced Kimmel’s suspension after a storm of backlash from Nexstar Media Group, one of the nation’s largest owners of ABC affiliates. Nexstar pulled Kimmel’s show from its 23 stations after his monologues mocking Trump’s reaction to Charlie Kirk’s assassination. Within hours, Sinclair Broadcasting followed suit. That corporate pressure landed as ABC’s parent company, Disney, faces heavy regulatory scrutiny over pending mergers. With FCC Chairman Brendan Carr threatening broadcasting licenses, the network bent fast.
The timing exposes a dangerous reality: corporate media giants are trading free speech for merger approvals, leaving comedians and journalists hanging in the wind.
Kimmel’s “Offense”
Jimmy Kimmel has been one of Trump’s most consistent critics since 2016. This week, he doubled down.
On Monday, he mocked Trump’s statement about Kirk’s murder:
“This is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he called a friend. This is how a 4-year-old mourns a goldfish.”
On Tuesday, he ridiculed Vice President JD Vance for guest-hosting Kirk’s podcast and tore into FBI Director Kash Patel’s investigation:
“Like a kid who didn’t read the book, BS’ing his way through an oral report.”
These barbs were sharp, but well within the long tradition of American political satire. Yet they triggered outrage among conservatives and opened the door for Trump to weaponize the FCC against ABC.
A Pattern of Media Retaliation
Trump’s attack on Kimmel isn’t an isolated tantrum. It’s part of a broader pattern:
Stephen Colbert’s Cancellation (2025) – CBS announced The Late Show will end in 2026, just as Paramount seeks regulatory approval for its merger with Skydance. Colbert’s constant criticism of Trump made him a target.
NBC Threats (2018–2020) – Trump threatened NBC’s broadcast license after critical reporting, openly tying his anger to coverage.
AT&T/Time Warner Merger (2017–2018) – Trump’s Justice Department tried to block the merger, with critics arguing it was retaliation for CNN’s reporting.
Ongoing FCC Scrutiny – Trump’s FCC has launched investigations into nearly every major broadcaster including ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, NPR — with Fox News conveniently left untouched.
This is authoritarian behavior dressed up as regulatory oversight. When a president dictates comedy lineups, democracy is in trouble.
Free Speech Under Threat
Civil liberties groups have slammed the move. SAG-AFTRA released a blistering statement:
“Suppression of free speech and retaliation for speaking out on significant issues of public concern run counter to the fundamental rights we all rely on. The decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel Live! is the type of suppression and retaliation that endangers everyone’s freedoms.”
The First Amendment was designed precisely for this: protecting unpopular or uncomfortable speech from government punishment. Satire, parody, and criticism of leaders are not just tolerated, they’re essential to a functioning democracy. The irony? Charlie Kirk spent his career weaponizing “extreme free speech.” Yet when Kimmel’s words stung, free speech suddenly had limits.
Fallon and Meyers in the Crosshairs
Trump isn’t stopping at Kimmel. His latest rant makes clear that Seth Meyers and Jimmy Fallon are next. Meyers has been especially relentless with his nightly “A Closer Look” segments dissecting Trump scandals. Fallon, though less cutting, earned MAGA wrath for his infamous 2016 hair-tousling interview that critics say “normalized” Trump. Now, both comedians face open calls for cancellation from a former president who seems addicted to silencing critics.
The Bottom Line
Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension isn’t just about a comedian. It’s about the ease with which Trump, drunk on power, can bend billion-dollar media corporations to his will. ABC caved. CBS already folded with Colbert. Now Trump is demanding NBC do the same with Fallon and Meyers. This is not “consequence culture.” It’s political censorship enforced by government threats and corporate cowardice. And if the country continues to normalize it, satire will die first. Journalism won’t be far behind.
Excellent article — Quislings in the media are taking the path of least resistance, caving in to Trump’s authoritarian demands which are clearly unconstitutional. But every weak surrender encourages the bully to overreach further. When will Herr Trump of the Fourth Reich start locking up his “enemies” — or worse?