Capitol Hill is roiling after ABC’s abrupt suspension of Jimmy Kimmel, a move that’s ignited a fierce national debate over free speech, the limits of government influence, and the role of private corporations in shaping public discourse. The late-night host’s removal came just one day after he delivered a controversial monologue about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk—a moment that has now become a flashpoint in America’s ongoing culture wars.
The sequence of events began on September 17, 2025, when Kimmel addressed Kirk’s killing during his opening remarks. According to The Hill, Kimmel criticized attempts by some supporters of former President Trump to distance themselves from the suspected killer, declaring, “the country hit some new lows over the weekend, when the MAGA gang desperately tried to characterize this kid who killed Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them.”
Within hours, the backlash was swift. FCC Chair Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee, publicly applauded Kimmel’s suspension and issued what many saw as a direct threat to ABC and its local affiliates, warning of possible regulatory action if they did not “take steps regarding Kimmel.” Carr told conservative commentator Benny Johnson on a podcast, “These companies can find ways to take action on Kimmel or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”
By September 18, Nexstar Media Group, which owns numerous ABC affiliates, announced it would preempt “Jimmy Kimmel Live” in response to the remarks. In a statement, Nexstar’s broadcasting division president Andrew Alford said, “Mr. Kimmel’s comments about the death of Mr. Kirk are offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse, and we do not believe they reflect the spectrum of opinions, views, or values of the local communities in which we are located.” ABC followed suit, suspending Kimmel’s show entirely.
Democratic lawmakers erupted in protest, framing the sequence as a dangerous precedent for censorship and a direct assault on the First Amendment. Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) didn’t mince words, calling the episode “the biggest attack on First Amendment rights that we’ve seen since the Alien and Sedition Act [of 1798]. This is censorship.”
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) echoed the outrage, saying, “I never met Charlie Kirk and I didn’t know him, but everybody says he was a free speech guy—including speech that you may not like. So this is what we’re going to do?” Kaine admitted he was “very pissed off” at the situation.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) went even further, calling for Carr to resign or be fired. He labeled Carr “one of the greatest threats to free speech America has ever seen,” adding, “What Brendan Carr is doing is despicable. What he did to Jimmy Kimmel, he is doing to person after person, network after network, intimidating them and threatening them.”
House Democratic leaders, including Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), accused Carr of “corrupt abuse of power” and “bullying ABC, the employer of Jimmy Kimmel, and forcing the company to bend the knee to the Trump administration.” They also pointed the finger directly at Trump, declaring, “Donald Trump and the Republican Party’s war on the First Amendment is blatantly inconsistent with American values. This will not be forgotten.”
Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) announced plans to launch a probe into the matter, vowing an investigation into the Trump administration, ABC, and major TV station owner Sinclair. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) moved to subpoena Carr to testify before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, describing the FCC chair’s actions as “the largest assault on the First Amendment and free speech in modern history.” However, Republicans blocked the motion along party lines.
On the other side of the aisle, Republicans largely defended the suspension, insisting it was a business decision made by private companies, not an act of government censorship. Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.), a member of GOP leadership, told The Hill, “That’s a business decision for them to be able to look at. They’re trying to be able to decide, this is a person insulting a huge portion of America—do they want to keep dealing with this?”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) echoed this sentiment, telling NBC News, “My preference would always be to let the companies make economic market decisions.” Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) agreed, saying, “I understand that right now it’s an employer-employee issue, and that’s the way I would approach it.”
Some Republicans, however, expressed discomfort with Carr’s approach. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) admitted, “I do think it was very unusual for the head of the agency to issue what seemed to be very challenging comments.” Still, she supported the network’s right to fire Kimmel, calling his statements “out of bounds.”
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who previously led probes into the Biden administration’s alleged pressure on social media companies, was clear in his opposition to government involvement in policing speech. “I don’t want the government to be involved with policing speech,” Paul told reporters. “The FCC should not be involved,” he later posted on X, though he declined to specifically criticize Carr’s remarks and maintained ABC’s decision was “fair game.”
Perhaps most telling was the shifting mood among some Republicans about the First Amendment itself. Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) confessed, “Under normal times, in normal circumstances, I tend to think that the First Amendment should always be sort of the ultimate right. And that there should be almost no checks and balances on it. I don’t feel that way anymore.”
The White House, for its part, dismissed claims of censorship, instead pointing to Kimmel’s ratings as justification for his suspension. The administration’s rapid response team wrote on social media that ABC was “doing their viewers a favor. Jimmy is a sick freak!”
Adding to the spectacle, former President Trump celebrated Kimmel’s benching from across the Atlantic, calling for similar actions against NBC’s Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers. He even floated the idea of revoking network licenses over negative coverage, telling reporters in the UK, “I read someplace that the networks were 97 percent against me. Again, 97 percent negative, and yet I won and easily won all seven swing states. The popular vote, won everything. They’re 97 percent against; they give me only bad press. I mean, they’re getting a license. I would think maybe their license should be taken away.” Trump praised Carr as a “patriot” and a “tough guy.”
As the dust settles, the Kimmel affair has become a defining moment in the struggle over free speech, government power, and the influence of private media. It’s a story that touches every corner of the American political landscape—and one that’s sure to echo in the months and years to come.