Trump celebrates Kimmel show suspension as Democrats push free speech bill

US president says regulator should see removing broadcast licences from those who ‘hit Trump’.

United States President Donald Trump appears to beryllium relishing successful the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel aft the late-night comedian’s fashionable speech amusement was taken disconnected aerial implicit comments helium made astir the sidesplitting of blimpish activistic Charlie Kirk.

“He made a full FOOL of himself,” President Trump wrote connected his Truth Social level connected Thursday evening, reposting a clip from past year’s Academy Awards successful which Kimmel spontaneously took purpose astatine the US leader.

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Earlier successful the day, Trump said Kimmel was fired due to the fact that helium said a “horrible happening astir a large man known arsenic Charlie Kirk”.

Trump told reporters connected his instrumentality from visiting the United Kingdom that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) – which regulates each broadcasts successful the US – should see removing the licences of broadcasters who “hit Trump”.

“I would deliberation possibly their licence should beryllium taken away,” Trump said, though national instrumentality prohibits the FCC from revoking a broadcaster’s licence for antagonistic sum oregon code disliked by the government.

“It volition beryllium up to [FCC Chair] Brendan Carr,” Trump added.

The Disney-owned ABC web removed the Jimmy Kimmel Live amusement from programming indefinitely connected Wednesday aft an opening monologue by Kimmel successful which helium said “the MAGA gang” was trying to “score governmental points” from Kirk’s death.

Disney made the determination aft the FCC’s Carr – a Trump appointee – appeared to connote connected a right-wing podcast that Kimmel’s remarks had enactment Disney’s licence successful jeopardy.

“This is simply a very, precise superior contented close present for Disney,” Carr said.

“They person a licence granted by america astatine the FCC, and that comes with it an work to run successful the nationalist interest.”

Brendan Carr, past commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission, testifies successful a 2020 US Senate oversight proceeding [File: Jonathan Newton/Reuters]

Kimmel was owed to conscionable with 3 Disney web executives to sermon the destiny of his show, Bloomberg News reported connected Thursday.

The comedian is the latest successful a increasing database of media figures, journalists and quality organisations to look Trump’s wrath successful the signifier of lawsuits and idiosyncratic vendettas.

In July, CBS said The Late Show with Stephen Colbert would spell disconnected aerial successful 2026, days aft Colbert criticised CBS’s genitor institution Paramount for a $16m settlement successful a lawsuit with Trump.

ABC News also agreed to wage $15m implicit inaccurate on-air comments made by an anchor that Trump had been recovered “liable for raping” writer E Jean Carroll. Trump had, successful fact, been recovered liable for intersexual abuse. More recently, Trump is bringing a multibillion-dollar suit against The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal for their sum of his narration with high-flying financier and convicted enactment offender Jeffrey Epstein.

In different Truth Social station connected Wednesday, Trump seemed to suggest further suspensions of late-night comedians, namely 2 fashionable NBC hosts.

“That leaves Jimmy and Seth, 2 full losers, connected Fake News NBC,” the president said, referring to Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers.

“Their ratings are besides horrible. Do it NBC!!!”

Democratic Party lawmakers are present pushing to walk a caller bill, called the No Political Enemies Act, which they successful portion credited to Kimmel’s suspension.

The measure aims to deter officials from retaliating against escaped code and provides tools for those targeted by the government, according to a legislative summary, though it is improbable to walk the Republican-controlled Congress.

Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has besides called for Carr’s resignation from the FCC successful a societal media station connected Thursday, earlier railing against the Trump medication successful a quality league announcing the bill.

“First, let’s beryllium precise clear: Political unit has nary spot successful America,” Schumer said.

“But let’s besides beryllium clear: The Trump medication run of threats against civilian nine and escaped code … is an battle connected everything this state has stood for since the Constitution was signed,” Schumer said.

“There’s an battle connected ideology coming retired of the White House and their allies, and we spot much grounds of it each day,” helium said.

Brendan Carr should resign immediately, oregon Trump should occurrence him. pic.twitter.com/bow6H1ZsFY

— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) September 18, 2025