Barack Obama is speaking out after ABC pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live! from its lineup indefinitely. The former president is calling out what he sees as a growing trend of politically motivated censorship, pointing the finger directly at Donald Trump’s administration.
The late-night show’s cancellation came after backlash over Kimmel’s comments about the recent killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Many in the entertainment industry, along with the public, have expressed outrage at the network’s decision.
Obama took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his concern. He accused Trump and his allies of pushing cancel culture far beyond complaints and into dangerous territory.
He wrote, “After years of complaining about cancel culture, the current administration has taken it to a new and dangerous level by routinely threatening regulatory action against media companies unless they silence or fire reporters and commentators it doesn’t like.”
In a follow-up, Obama added, “This is exactly the type of government interference the First Amendment was created to prevent. Media companies must stop giving in to this pressure and start standing up for free speech.”
The cancellation became official on Wednesday when ABC confirmed that Jimmy Kimmel Live! had been pulled, with no return date in sight. The decision came shortly after a warning from FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, who said the network could face consequences if it didn’t take action.
Carr’s comments followed a monologue from Kimmel earlier in the week. During the show, Kimmel addressed the murder of Charlie Kirk and criticized the way some conservative groups reacted.
He said, “Over the weekend, the MAGA crowd went to new lows, trying everything they could to paint the killer as anything other than one of their own. All for political gain.”
Carr responded during an appearance on Benny Johnson’s podcast. He warned that networks had two options: change voluntarily or deal with the FCC directly. He said, “We can do this the easy way or the hard way. Either the companies take action, especially regarding Kimmel, or the FCC steps in.”
Shortly after that, Nexstar Communications Group, which oversees 23 ABC-affiliated stations, called Kimmel’s remarks “offensive and insensitive.” ABC acted quickly, pulling the show the same day.
So far, Kimmel has not released a statement about the cancellation. However, Donald Trump reacted on Truth Social, writing, “Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done.”
According to insiders, Kimmel’s current contract with ABC runs until May of next year. But after this incident, sources say he’s already exploring ways to exit early.
Kimmel is also expected to appear on Stephen Colbert’s show soon. Colbert, who has faced similar criticism from Trump supporters, reportedly wants to team up with Kimmel in response to the growing pressure on liberal voices in media.
A source told the Daily Mail, “They’re both in the same boat, standing against the Trump administration. Now they’re planning something together. Neither of them wants Trump back in power, and this situation has fired Jimmy up to stay true to himself and keep speaking his mind.”
