david Letterman Condemns ABC Suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Show as ’Abject Surrender’
NEW YORK – David Letterman sharply criticized ABC’s decision to temporarily suspend Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show following apparent pressure from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC),calling it an “abject surrender” to political intimidation. The rebuke comes amid growing concerns about censorship and the influence of the Trump management on media outlets.
ABC suspended Kimmel’s show after a segment critical of President Donald Trump sparked outrage and an apparent threat from the FCC. The move follows CBS’s controversial cancellation of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” in September, a decision critics also attributed to political pressure despite the network citing financial reasons.
“This is just…sad,” Letterman said in a statement released Wednesday. “To see a network roll over like this, to prioritize avoiding a scolding from the government over supporting a comedian’s right to speak his mind, it’s deeply disheartening.It’s an abject surrender to intimidation.”
Kimmel himself addressed the suspension with sarcasm, stating he has always “admired and respected” President Trump, but assured fans his show would not alter its critical tone. “May I just say, it is a privilege and an honor to call Jimmy Kimmel my friend likewise it is an honor to do this show every night,” he said. “I wake up every day and count my blessings that I live in a country that at least purports to value freedom of speech and we’re going to keep doing our show the way we’ve always done it with enthusiasm and integrity.”
The suspension has ignited widespread condemnation from media watchdogs and free speech advocates. Ari Cohn, lead counsel for tech policy at the Foundation for Individual rights and Expression, stated, “We cannot be a country where late night talk show hosts serve at the pleasure of the president. But until institutions grow a backbone and learn to resist government pressure, that is the country we are.”
president Trump has publicly celebrated both the cancellation of Colbert’s show and the suspension of Kimmel’s, and on September 17 called on NBC to fire Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers next in a post on Truth Social.
The incidents raise broader questions about the future of political satire and the independence of broadcast networks in an increasingly polarized surroundings. The cancellations and suspensions echo historical instances of government attempts to control media content, prompting fears of a chilling effect on free expression.