Famous Democrats Are Now Raging Over Kimmel's Cancellation • Franknez.com

The sudden suspension of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” has ignited a firestorm among prominent Democrats, who are accusing the Trump administration of weaponizing federal power to silence critics and erode First Amendment rights.

Just days after the show’s indefinite pull from ABC affiliates, heavyweights like Barack Obama, Kamala Harris, and Mark Ruffalo have stepped up with blistering condemnations, framing the move as part of a broader assault on free expression in the wake of conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination.

The controversy erupted following Kimmel’s monologue last week, where the late-night host skewered the MAGA response to the September 10 sniper shooting of Kirk, the 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA, during a rally at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.

Kimmel mocked efforts to paint the suspect, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson—charged Tuesday in connection with the killing—as anything other than a product of far-right extremism, which ultimately proved to be a big mistake.

During Robinson’s hearing, it was confirmed by family that the killer had begun to become more political and lean more towards the left.

“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA Gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said.

According to court details, Robinson was dating a roommate, who was a biological male and was beginning to transition genders, per USA Today.

Kimmel also took a jab at President Donald Trump, joking about the leader’s grief stages: “He’s at the fourth stage of grief: construction,” referencing Trump’s boast about a new $200 million White House ballroom.

What followed was swift backlash from the right, amplified by Trump’s Federal Communications Commission pick, Brendan Carr, who warned of regulatory action against ABC and its parent company Disney unless Kimmel faced consequences.

Nexstar, the owner of ABC stations eyeing a $6.2 billion Tegna acquisition that needs FCC approval, yanked the show from its lineup.

Despite initial support from ABC execs—who argued Kimmel “had not actually said anything over the line”—fears of Trump-era retaliation won out, per reports.

Trump himself shrugged it off to reporters on Air Force One on September 18, claiming low ratings were to blame but calling the cancellation “great news for America.”

Kimmel’s remark on Krik’s killer has been seen as detrimentally irresponsible — as the false claims could have influenced further division and chaos amongst political parties.

Obama Delivers a Bipartisan Free Speech Reminder

Former President Barack Obama wasted no time weighing in, using his platform on X to school both MAGA supporters and critics on the sanctity of open discourse.

Sharing links to a New York Times op-ed by conservative legal scholar David French and an 1860 essay by Frederick Douglass, Obama underscored that free speech protections extend to everyone—no exceptions.

“This commentary offers a clear, powerful statement of why freedom of speech is at the heart of democracy and must be defended, whether the speaker is Charlie Kirk or Jimmy Kimmel, MAGA supporters or MAGA opponents,” he wrote.

In a follow-up, he added: “First there’s this piece by David French, who devoted much of his legal career to defending the First Amendment rights of conservative writers and scholars.

Second, it’s worth reading this excerpt from Frederick Douglass.”

French’s piece, titled “Charlie Kirk, Jimmy Kimmel and the Future of Free Speech in America,” warned of an “emerging threat” to expression, accusing Attorney General Pam Bondi of exploiting Kirk’s death to justify cracking down on “hate speech”—a category with no carve-out under the First Amendment.

“There is no First Amendment exception for so-called hate speech,” French argued.

Obama’s nod to Douglass’s “A Plea for Free Speech in Boston” reinforced the historical stakes, reminding readers that defending unpopular voices is democracy’s true test.

White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson fired back, labeling Obama the “architect of modern political division” and claiming his rhetoric had fueled Democratic attacks on opponents.

Harris Torches the ‘Frontal Assault’ on Critics

Vice President Kamala Harris didn’t hold back either, torching Trump’s tactics as a blatant abuse of authority.

In a pointed X post, she rallied against what she called a chilling effect on media: “This administration is attacking critics and using fear as a weapon to silence anyone who would speak out. Media corporations—from television networks to newspapers—are capitulating to these threats. We cannot dare to be silent or complacent in the face of this frontal assault on free speech.”

Many would argue, however, that Kimmel’s cancellation was less about free speech and more about an irresponsible use of false claims.

Harris tied the episode to a pattern of intimidation, referencing Trump’s August revocation of her Secret Service detail amid their ongoing feud.

Her words echoed a growing chorus from fellow Democrats, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom—her 2024 running mate—who joined late-night peers in decrying the GOP’s selective outrage over “taste and decency.”

The timing feels especially raw, coming amid a year of escalating violence: the June 14 assassination of Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, plus a foiled attempt on Trump last year.

Ruffalo Warns of a Slide Toward Authoritarianism

Hollywood star Mark Ruffalo, a vocal progressive, turned up the heat during a video call for the No Kings protest group, blasting the suspension as a direct government power grab.

“We saw Jimmy Kimmel’s show was canceled. We don’t know what the reasons are really, it’s very cloudy and murky,” Ruffalo said, his voice laced with disbelief.

“I don’t understand what’s happening right now. My industry doesn’t understand what’s happening right now. But what they do understand is our freedom of speech is being attacked.”

Ruffalo stated that while he did not truly understand the reason why Kimmel’s show was cancelled, he believed that freedom of speech was being attacked — despite Kimmel’s false and divisive claims on Kirk’s killer.

He didn’t stop there, painting a dystopian picture: “This cancellation is the United States government coming and taking your voice away from you. It is the United States government that is now suppressing the freedom of speech.”

Ruffalo urged unity against the creep of control, warning, “And that’s where we all have to come together, because authoritarian regimes, fascist regimes, have to degrade our freedoms more and more over time—until we’re living the smallest, the most frightened, the most secretive lives.”

He even invoked the Taliban as a cautionary tale: “Think of yourselves living under the Taliban, because that’s where we’re headed.”

After over two decades on air, Kimmel’s ouster marks a low point for late-night TV, where satire has long poked at power without reprisal.

As these Democratic voices amplify the alarm—amid Trump’s claims of a “radical” left behind Kirk’s death—the episode underscores a nation grappling with speech, safety, and the boundaries of political payback.

With midterms on the horizon, the fallout could reshape how comedy, criticism, and censorship collide in Trump’s America.

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