Trump floats licence threat against TV networks after Jimmy Kimmel suspension
US President Donald Trump has escalated his feud with American media, suggesting some television networks should "maybe" lose their broadcasting licences after ABC pulled "Jimmy Kimmel Live" off air indefinitely.
The Disney-owned network suspended production on Wednesday, (September 17) following threats from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) over Kimmel's remarks about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. On Monday (September 15), the late-night host appeared to suggest the suspect was a MAGA Republican, though Utah police later said the gunman had been "indoctrinated with leftist ideology."
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Trump, speaking aboard Air Force One, accused networks of being overwhelmingly negative toward him. "They give me only bad publicity," he told reporters. "I would think maybe their licence should be taken away."
Obama strongly criticised the move, calling it the administration's "most brazen attack on free speech yet." In a statement on X, he wrote: "After years of complaining about cancel culture, the current administration has taken it to a new and dangerous level by threatening regulatory action against media companies unless they muzzle or fire commentators it doesn't like."
The FCC's Trump-appointed chairman Brendan Carr defended the suspension, warning it would not be "the last shoe to drop." Major affiliates, including Nexstar Media and Sinclair, have already declined to air Kimmel's show. Nexstar, which is seeking FCC approval for a $6.2 billion merger, called his comments "offensive and insensitive."
Kirk, 31, was shot dead on 10 September while speaking at Utah Valley University. His widow, Erika Kirk, has been appointed head of Turning Point USA, the conservative group he co-founded. A 22-year-old man has been charged with aggravated murder, and prosecutors say they will seek the death penalty.
Kimmel, 57, apologised on Instagram, sending "love" to Kirk's family, but has not spoken publicly since the suspension. Writers and actors, including Stephen Colbert, Ben Stiller, and Jean Smart, condemned the move as censorship. The Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA also denounced it as a violation of free speech rights.
Trump, however, celebrated the decision on Truth Social. "Great news for America: The ratings-challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED," he wrote. "Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done."
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