Kamala Harris Condemns Trump-Era FCC Pressure on ABC Over Jimmy Kimmel Monologue
WASHINGTON - Vice President Kamala Harris sharply criticized former President Donald Trump and his allies on Wednesday, accusing them of a sustained “assault on free speech” following the removal of Jimmy Kimmel’s show from broadcast stations owned by Nexstar. The controversy stems from Kimmel’s recent monologue criticizing right-wing figures for their response to the murder of a campaign volunteer for Charlie Kirk.
The situation has ignited a debate over potential censorship and government influence over media outlets, echoing concerns raised by former President Barack obama. Obama, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stated the current administration has “taken cancel culture to a new and dangerous level by routinely threatening regulatory action against media companies unless thay muzzle or fire reporters and commentators it doesn’t like.” This follows a pattern initiated during Trump’s presidency, where regulatory pressure was allegedly used to influence media coverage.
During his Monday monologue, Kimmel criticized conservatives for attempting to “score political points” off the Kirk volunteer’s murder, stating, “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.” Shortly after, Nexstar, the largest TV station owner in the U.S., dropped Kimmel’s late-night show from its stations, and ABC confirmed the show would be pulled.
The pressure campaign originated with Brendan carr, Trump’s former Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman, who publicly called on licensed broadcasters to stop airing Kimmel’s show. Carr reportedly told conservative podcaster Benny Johnson, ”We can do this the easy way or the hard way… These companies can find ways to change conduct and take action, frankly, on Kimmel or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom also weighed in, asserting on X that the Republican Party “does not believe in free speech,” characterizing the actions as “coordinated” and “dangerous” censorship. The incident raises questions about the future of independent commentary and the potential for political interference in media programming, particularly as the 2024 election cycle intensifies.
