- Joe DePaolo @ Mediaite: ‘Great News for America!’ Trump Absolutely Revels in Kimmel Suspension — Pushes NBC to Axe Jimmy Fallon Next
Despite a five-hour time difference in the UK, news of Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension got to President Donald Trump before he fell asleep Wednesday night — and he wasted little time celebrating.
- Greg Sargent @ The New Republic: Trump’s Ouster of Jimmy Kimmel Is Much Worse Than You Think It Is
The startling decision by ABC to pull comedian Jimmy Kimmel’s show under pressure from President Trump requires a real response from Democrats. It has to go well beyond expressions of outrage and defenses of the First Amendment—though those are critical—and spell out potential future consequences, political and possibly even legal, for those participating in this escalating lawlessness.
- Adam Serwer @ The Atlantic: The Constitution Protects Jimmy Kimmel’s Mistake
The Trump-appointed chair of the Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr, went on a conservative podcast and threatened Disney, which owns ABC, saying, “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.” In 2023 Carr posted on X that “censorship is the authoritarian’s dream.” At the time that was a criticism of censorship; now it reads like a statement of intent.
- Adam Kinzinger: Brendan Carr’s FCC Power Play: How One Weak Man Threatens America’s Free Speech
After Jimmy Kimmel’s remarks on the Charlie Kirk shooting, Carr used FCC leverage to pressure ABC—showing how quickly constitutional rights can be trampled.
- Joe Walsh @ CBS News: Trump announces he's designating antifa as a "major terrorist organization"
President Trump announced Wednesday that he will designate antifa as a terrorist organization, and is recommending investigations into people who allegedly fund it.
- Will Sommer @ The Bulwark: Brutal MAGA Civil War Over Charlie Kirk’s Legacy
Podcasters, pastors, and plutocrats duking it out.
