Jimmy Kimmel is back on ABC, but Trump still threatens free speech | Opinion
Again, don’t take me for a Jimmy Kimmel fan. But now that basically everyone’s caved — the FCC, the White House, ABC, even right-wing affiliate owner Sinclair, which said Friday it would bring the show back on its stations that night — the late night host finally has me laughing.
I’m not old enough to remember “The Man Show,” but I’ve seen his blackface impersonation of Oprah. And lest you imagine some sort of truly subversive approach, like that time “Mad Men” had one of its period-era characters tarring himself to demonstrate to the audience the folly of 1960s America, no, it’s just “Oprah Jimfrey,” with gags worthy of his fat suit.
But still, I tuned in to “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on Tuesday, when the late-night host returned to the air. More than six million other people did, too, plus tens of millions of YouTube views despite no help from Nexstar and Sinclair, Kimmel’s highly demanded return was a crucial victory for preserving the letter and spirit of free speech in the United States.
Since ABC reinstated Kimmel after indefinitely suspending him after the comedian made his usual barrage of Donald Trump jokes that mentioned Charlie Kirk — but critically, did not mock the slain activist — a revisionist line of thought is emerging.
The reasoning goes something like how JD Vance put it Wednesday: “The FCC Chairman Brendan Carr put out a couple of tweets, but the government took no action. Literally nothing to try to take Jimmy Kimmel off the air.”
I’ve seen the same sentiment voiced by the veep elsewhere since the news broke that Kimmel was back. I can’t speak for the intent or knowledge of every commentator. But from the vice president, this is a flat-out lie, and it perverts the straightforward meaning of governmental action.
When you are the Federal Communications Commission chair, your communications about work are relevant. @BrendanCarrFCC — yes, his role is even in his online handle — isn’t posting as a private citizen but as a governmental official. His correspondence included not just an explicit threat to use his powerful position to punish ABC, but also cheered the network’s decision. It’s a performance of his job.
Carr also went beyond “a couple of tweets.” He also said of ABC and its affiliates: “We can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to take action on Kimmel, or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”
But hey, if Vance doesn’t believe this humble blogger, the veep should take a few paces towards the Oval Office and ask his boss, the president of the United States, why he said “we’re going to test ABC out” on its decision to bring a TV show back.
“Let’s see how we do. Last time I went after them, they gave me $16 Million Dollars,” Donald Trump wrote in his whiny Truth Social rant about the network continuing to employ his least favorite comedian. “This one sounds even more lucrative.”
These are threats, too, as the commander in chief admitted he’s willing to challenge ABC’s decision with a lucrative shakedown reminiscent of his libel suit. But since a revolt of fans showed viewers were willing to cancel their Disney+ subs over their particular abuse of power, the threats are a little emptier (and a lot more embarrassing). Money talks louder than tweets.
I suspect that some Americans have in their heads an image of government strong-arming that projects a confident and unwavering show of power, instead of our catty and cringy snowflakes deeply in their feelings about a stand-up set. They’re so soft, it undermines the prevailing conception of an aspiring dictator.
But crybullies flex their power not in spite of their insecurities but because of them. And when we pay attention to the men behind the curtain and see them for who they are, the jokes make a lot more sense.
Though he may have become the symbol of American free speech battles, Kimmel isn’t the first or only victim. Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil is still under serious threat of deportation to countries he’s never visited because he stood up for human rights against the government that first made him a refugee. Similarly, ICE ambushed and detained Tufts student Rümeysa Öztürk for 45 days over an op-ed she wrote for her university’s paper defending Khalil’s cause.
Muslim grad students are, right now, easier to bully than A-list celebrities. Doubly so if they’re immigrants. After all, this is America. I hope that the energy from this can be funneled towards causes like theirs. I also hope it reminds everyone who desires power and respect that being admired can’t be claimed and must be earned. Without it, you’re still gonna get these jokes.
This story was originally published September 26, 2025 at 1:38 PM with the headline "Jimmy Kimmel is back on ABC, but Trump still threatens free speech | Opinion."
