On September 19, 2025, the political temperature in the United States rose another notch as actor and director Rob Reiner took to CNN’s airwaves with a stark, emotional warning. In a charged appearance on “NewsCentral” with anchor Brianna Keilar, Reiner declared that President Donald Trump had “declared war on this democracy,” placing the current moment in American history among the gravest threats to its foundational principles.
Reiner, known not just for his Hollywood credentials but also for his outspoken activism, didn’t mince words. “I’m a friend of Jimmy’s, and what happened to him is unconscionable. It just can’t happen,” he said, referencing the recent suspension of comedian Jimmy Kimmel by ABC and its parent company Disney. Kimmel’s suspension followed controversial remarks about murdered right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, and was widely criticized as a capitulation to pressure from Trump and his allies, according to Raw Story.
But Reiner insisted the issue reached far beyond the fate of one late-night host. “What’s happening now goes way beyond Jimmy Kimmel. We’re in a war. We’re in a war right now for our democracy. Trump has declared war on this democracy.” He painted a picture of a country under siege—not by foreign adversaries, but by internal attacks on its most cherished institutions and rights.
During the interview, Reiner described Trump as a “convicted felon, an adjudicated sex offender and business fraudster,” a description echoing recent high-profile court decisions. He accused Trump of systematically undermining the Constitution, stating, “He throws people out of the country without due process. He takes funds that were appropriated by Congress, refuses to distribute them, in clear contradiction to the Constitution, the separation of powers. He’s browbeating businesses and universities and law firms.”
This wasn’t the first time Reiner had spoken out, but the urgency in his voice was palpable. “This may be the last time you ever see me because ... there’s only a couple of us that are speaking out in this hard way,” he told Keilar, as reported by Raw Story. “And I, we, hope and we know that there will be others. And so I don’t think you can destroy a whole industry.”
Reiner’s concern for free speech and First Amendment rights was front and center. “He’s declared war on the First Amendment of the Constitution, and we’re not going to take it,” he said, predicting a “big pushback” from not just Hollywood but from citizens across the country. “There are a lot of people who are going to be standing up in the near future, and you’re going to see a big pushback. There’s no question about it.”
The Kimmel controversy, Reiner argued, was symptomatic of a broader climate of fear and intimidation. With the networks allegedly bowing to outside political pressure, he warned of a slippery slope: “If people don’t speak up, it could lead to state-run media and further authoritarian rule.” In his view, the stakes couldn’t be higher. “This is a man who’s decided that our 250 years of American democracy is going to be wiped out — and is doing it within the last eight months.”
Reiner’s sense of urgency was deeply personal as well as political. He spoke of his family’s experience fighting Nazis and fascism during World War II, noting that his wife is a descendant of Holocaust survivors and his uncle was a veteran of that conflict. “Beside the fact that I’m in show business, I’m already a libtard, I’m already a pariah... with the Trump administration,” he quipped, acknowledging the personal risk involved in speaking out so forcefully.
He also floated the possibility of legal action, suggesting Kimmel might sue the Trump administration for “abandoning my First Amendment rights.” “We’re going to see what recourse he has and where this goes,” Reiner said, hinting that the battle over free expression in America’s media landscape could soon play out in the courts as well as in the court of public opinion.
While Reiner’s comments have ignited support among many in the entertainment industry and beyond, they have also drawn criticism from Trump supporters and some conservative commentators, who see such claims as exaggerated or partisan. Yet, Reiner’s warnings reflect broader anxieties about the state of American democracy, especially as the country barrels toward another contentious election season.
The question of media independence and the limits of free speech has long been a flashpoint in U.S. politics. The Kimmel suspension, coming amid accusations of corporate capitulation to political power, has reignited debates over censorship, the role of large media conglomerates, and the ability of high-profile figures to speak their minds without fear of reprisal.
According to CNN, Reiner’s appearance was also connected to his recent promotional tour for “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues.” Yet, it was clear that his focus was less on entertainment than on the existential threats he perceives facing the country. “We are not going to stand for it,” he said, his voice resolute. “There are a lot of people who are going to be standing up in the near future, and you’re going to see a big pushback.”
Reiner’s rhetoric is not without precedent in American history. Artists, writers, and public figures have often played outsized roles in moments of national crisis, from the McCarthy era’s Hollywood blacklist to the Vietnam War protests and the civil rights movement. Whether this moment will spark a similar groundswell remains to be seen, but Reiner’s call to action was unmistakable.
As the dust settles from this latest controversy, the questions linger: How far will the pushback go? Will others in the industry and beyond join Reiner in speaking out? Or will the chilling effect of high-profile suspensions and legal threats silence dissenting voices?
For now, Rob Reiner is not backing down. “We’re fighting,” he declared. “We’re not going to take it.” And as the battle lines over free speech and democracy continue to be drawn, it’s clear that the stakes, as Reiner sees them, are nothing less than the soul of the nation.