Mediaite
Fri, September 19, 2025
Fired MSNBC analyst Matthew Dowd called out his media colleagues for being outraged over Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension while ignoring what happened to him.
Dowd was one of the guests on Katie Couric’s podcast focused on Kimmel’s suspension, and the former senior analyst for MSNBC said he was confused at the outrage over Kimmel’s dismissal versus his own, saying:
All the shows are talking about how this is awful for America that Jimmy Kimmel was indefinitely suspended, and isn’t this awful for America, it’s a chilling thing for the First Amendment. And they’re saying that on every platform.
Not one person has said anything about me. Not one on that network has said — they’ve all gone out of their way to say, isn’t this horrible what happened to Jimmy Kimmel? Including Morning Joe [Scarborough] and Mika [Brzezinski], who went after me after the show, basically saying they were glad I was terminated.
And now today, they’re talking about how awful it is for our country that somebody like Jimmy Kimmel can’t say what he said and he is indefinitely suspended and not an iota about what their employer just did to another employee.
Both Dowd and Kimmel faced repurcussions from their employers after comments related to the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Kimmel found himself facing the wrath of affiliates and suspended indefinitely by ABC after a comment about “MAGA” and 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, the man now facing murder charges over Kirk.
“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,” Kimmel said on his show.
Utah officials have made clear that Robinson was “indoctrinated” with leftist ideologies in the years leading up to Kirk’s murder.
Dowd was dismissed by MSNBC after his commentary on Kirk’s shooting in which he suggested the activist could have been killed by a supporter firing off a gun in celebration.
“I always go back to hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions,” he said. “You can’t stop with these sort of awful thoughts you have, and then saying these awful words, and then not expect awful actions to take place. And that’s the unfortunate environment we are in.”
Dowd defended his comments, accusing his critics of falsely framing his words as blaming Kirk for his own assassination.
“I said, ‘I think you guys are making a huge mistake,'” Dowd recalled about his interactions with the network. “I said, ‘you know and I know that’s not anything what I meant. You know it’s been misconstrued,’ and they agreed with that. They agreed it had been misconstrued. But they said it didn’t matter. The decision’s been made.”
Watch via Katie Couric’s YouTube.
Trump Snaps at Ted Cruz’s Shock Warning About Free Speech
Farrah Tomazin
Fri, September 19, 2025
Andrew Harnik / Getty Images
President Donald Trump has defended his Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr after Republican Senator Ted Cruz compared him to a mafia boss for demanding Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension.
In a stinging rebuke on his podcast this week, Cruz blasted Carr’s actions, describing them as “dangerous as hell” and “right out of GoodFellas.”
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) has issued a surprise warning to the Trump administration about the dangers of suppressing free speech. / Evelyn Hockstein / REUTERS
“Let me tell you, if the government gets in the business of saying, ‘We don’t like what you, the media, have said; we’re going to ban you from the airwaves if you don’t say what we like’—that will end up bad for conservatives,” Cruz said.
“They will silence us,” he added, warning what might happen if the Democrats returned to power and followed suit.
“They will use this power, and they will use it ruthlessly.”
But speaking in the Oval Office on Friday afternoon, Trump described Carr as “an incredible American patriot” who had shown courage for taking on broadcast networks that criticized him.
Donald Trump, alongside Brendan Carr, in Brownsville, Texas, in November last year. / Brandon Bell / via REUTERS
“I disagree with Ted Cruz,” he told reporters.
“I think Brendan Carr doesn’t like to see the airwaves be used illegally and incorrectly, and purposely horribly.
“He doesn’t like to see a person that won the election in a landslide get 97 percent bad publicity before the election.
“(The networks) have to show honesty and integrity… When they take a great success, like you often do, and you make it into like it’s a loser, or you put a negative spin on it, I don’t think that’s right. So I think Brendan Carr is a great American.”
Protest signs outside the El Capitan Theatre, home of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025. / David Pashaee / Middle East Images via AFP
The comments came days after Jimmy Kimmel Live! was taken off the air after its host, Kimmel, made comments about the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Kimmel criticized some in the MAGA movement for trying to distance themselves from the shooter, effectively suggesting they were politicizing the murder.
Carr, a Project 2025 architect whom Trump picked to chair the FCC, then threatened to revoke ABC’s broadcast license, suggesting the comments violated obligations that broadcasters have to serve the public interest.
“This is a very, very serious issue right now for Disney,” Carr said on the Benny Johnson podcast.
“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.”
House Democratic leaders called for Carr’s resignation and accused him of “bullying” ABC into suspending Kimmel.
In a joint statement, the leaders—including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries—said the move was part of Trump and Republicans’ effort to wage a “war on the First Amendment.”
Jimmy Kimmel at an Emmys Party on Sept. 14, 2025, in Los Angeles. / Chad Salvador/Variety via Getty Images
But while GOP members have been fairly cautious in their response, Cruz hit out at Carr’s actions. He said that while Kimmel had become “profoundly unfunny” over the years, the push to suspend him set a dangerous free speech precedent.
Putting on a mobster’s accent, Cruz also declared: “That’s right out of a mafioso going into a bar, and going, ‘Nice bar you have here, it would be a shame if something happened to it!’
Kimmel’s suspension was not the only attack on free speech this week.
Late on Monday, the president filed a $15 billion defamation lawsuit against the New York Times and some of its most prominent reporters for articles and a book that made the case that he built his business fortune, in part, through fraud.
On Tuesday, he lashed out at Australian Broadcasting Corporation journalist John Lyons for asking him if it was “appropriate” for a president to be enriching himself while in office.
He also took aim at ABC reporter Jonathan Karl that day for asking him about Attorney General Pam Bondi’s threat to prosecute people for hate speech, something that is protected under the First Amendment.
“She’d probably go after people like you because you treat me so unfairly. It’s hate. You have a lot of hate in your heart,” Trump fired back.
And on Thursday, he suggested that broadcasters allowing overt criticism of him should, “maybe lose their license.”
'The View' hosts conveniently forgot to mention Jimmy Kimmel's cancellation on their show & fans are outraged
After the talk show hosts failed to even address Jimmy Kimmel's suspension, fans of The View took to social media to express their anger and disappointment
Cassandra Brooklyn•
Updated Fri, September 19, 2025
Fans of The View are angered that the hosts didn't address Jimmy Kimmel's suspension
Last night, FCC Chair Brendan Carr sparked fresh controversy after threatening to revoke ABC affiliate licenses—a move that led to the immediate suspension of 'Jimmy Kimmel Live'. By this morning, Carr had turned his attention to another ABC mainstay: The View.
In a conversation on CNN commentator Scott Jennings’ radio show, Carr questioned whether The View should continue to benefit from the FCC’s “equal opportunity” exemption—a rule that typically requires broadcast stations to offer comparable airtime to political candidates, but exempts programs deemed “bona fide news,” according to CNN.
Will 'The View' be canceled?
While late-night shows and talk programs typically sidestep that rule by qualifying as “bona fide news” under FCC guidelines, Carr may decide to challenge whether The View still fits that bill.
“I would assume you can make the argument that The View is a bona fide news show, but I’m not so sure about that,” Carr said. “And I think it’s worthwhile to have the FCC look into whether The View and some of these other programs still qualify as bona fide news programs.”
Fans of The View are disappointed hosts didn't address Jimmy Kimmel's suspension
'The View' hosts silent regarding Kimmel's suspension
Though The View is known for its hot takes on just about everything (most notably, celebrities, culture, and politics), fans were outraged that none of the hosts so much as mentioned Kimmel's suspension on today's show.
Several posted on The View's Instagram immediately after the show, expressing their anger and disappointment. One wrote: "KIMMEL?? Hello??? NOT A WORD TODAY????? This is insanity"
Another said "I guess some topics are just too hot. Disappointing to say the least."
A third chimed in "No Kimmel?? Are you all be silenced as well? This is so scary. The episode isn’t even on YouTube. What is going on??"
Who spoke up for Jimmy Kimmel?
While the ladies of The View remained noticeably silent on the topic, many celebrities spoke out in support of Kimmel. In the first late-night broadcasts after Kimmel's suspension, many late-night hosts addressed the situation with satirical stagings of "government-approved" monologues, like Jon Stewart's viral "patriotically obedient" monologue.
Yahoo CreatorCassandra BrooklynI'm Cassandra, a freelance writer, guidebook author, and photographer who loves all things outdoors. I've written for The New York Times, National Geographic, Wall Street Journal, Lonely Planet, Travel + Leisure, and dozens more. My work tends to focus on sustainability, accessibility, and the outdoors and I have a special love for hiking, biking, and kayaking. I started as a solo traveler, now do a lot of family travel, and also multi-gen and accessible travel
Farrah Tomazin
Fri, September 19, 2025
Andrew Harnik / Getty Images
President Donald Trump has defended his Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr after Republican Senator Ted Cruz compared him to a mafia boss for demanding Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension.
In a stinging rebuke on his podcast this week, Cruz blasted Carr’s actions, describing them as “dangerous as hell” and “right out of GoodFellas.”
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) has issued a surprise warning to the Trump administration about the dangers of suppressing free speech. / Evelyn Hockstein / REUTERS
“Let me tell you, if the government gets in the business of saying, ‘We don’t like what you, the media, have said; we’re going to ban you from the airwaves if you don’t say what we like’—that will end up bad for conservatives,” Cruz said.
“They will silence us,” he added, warning what might happen if the Democrats returned to power and followed suit.
“They will use this power, and they will use it ruthlessly.”
But speaking in the Oval Office on Friday afternoon, Trump described Carr as “an incredible American patriot” who had shown courage for taking on broadcast networks that criticized him.
Donald Trump, alongside Brendan Carr, in Brownsville, Texas, in November last year. / Brandon Bell / via REUTERS
“I disagree with Ted Cruz,” he told reporters.
“I think Brendan Carr doesn’t like to see the airwaves be used illegally and incorrectly, and purposely horribly.
“He doesn’t like to see a person that won the election in a landslide get 97 percent bad publicity before the election.
“(The networks) have to show honesty and integrity… When they take a great success, like you often do, and you make it into like it’s a loser, or you put a negative spin on it, I don’t think that’s right. So I think Brendan Carr is a great American.”
Protest signs outside the El Capitan Theatre, home of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025. / David Pashaee / Middle East Images via AFP
The comments came days after Jimmy Kimmel Live! was taken off the air after its host, Kimmel, made comments about the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Kimmel criticized some in the MAGA movement for trying to distance themselves from the shooter, effectively suggesting they were politicizing the murder.
Carr, a Project 2025 architect whom Trump picked to chair the FCC, then threatened to revoke ABC’s broadcast license, suggesting the comments violated obligations that broadcasters have to serve the public interest.
“This is a very, very serious issue right now for Disney,” Carr said on the Benny Johnson podcast.
“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.”
House Democratic leaders called for Carr’s resignation and accused him of “bullying” ABC into suspending Kimmel.
In a joint statement, the leaders—including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries—said the move was part of Trump and Republicans’ effort to wage a “war on the First Amendment.”
Jimmy Kimmel at an Emmys Party on Sept. 14, 2025, in Los Angeles. / Chad Salvador/Variety via Getty Images
But while GOP members have been fairly cautious in their response, Cruz hit out at Carr’s actions. He said that while Kimmel had become “profoundly unfunny” over the years, the push to suspend him set a dangerous free speech precedent.
Putting on a mobster’s accent, Cruz also declared: “That’s right out of a mafioso going into a bar, and going, ‘Nice bar you have here, it would be a shame if something happened to it!’
Kimmel’s suspension was not the only attack on free speech this week.
Late on Monday, the president filed a $15 billion defamation lawsuit against the New York Times and some of its most prominent reporters for articles and a book that made the case that he built his business fortune, in part, through fraud.
On Tuesday, he lashed out at Australian Broadcasting Corporation journalist John Lyons for asking him if it was “appropriate” for a president to be enriching himself while in office.
He also took aim at ABC reporter Jonathan Karl that day for asking him about Attorney General Pam Bondi’s threat to prosecute people for hate speech, something that is protected under the First Amendment.
“She’d probably go after people like you because you treat me so unfairly. It’s hate. You have a lot of hate in your heart,” Trump fired back.
And on Thursday, he suggested that broadcasters allowing overt criticism of him should, “maybe lose their license.”
'The View' hosts conveniently forgot to mention Jimmy Kimmel's cancellation on their show & fans are outraged
After the talk show hosts failed to even address Jimmy Kimmel's suspension, fans of The View took to social media to express their anger and disappointment
Cassandra Brooklyn•
Updated Fri, September 19, 2025
Fans of The View are angered that the hosts didn't address Jimmy Kimmel's suspension
Last night, FCC Chair Brendan Carr sparked fresh controversy after threatening to revoke ABC affiliate licenses—a move that led to the immediate suspension of 'Jimmy Kimmel Live'. By this morning, Carr had turned his attention to another ABC mainstay: The View.
In a conversation on CNN commentator Scott Jennings’ radio show, Carr questioned whether The View should continue to benefit from the FCC’s “equal opportunity” exemption—a rule that typically requires broadcast stations to offer comparable airtime to political candidates, but exempts programs deemed “bona fide news,” according to CNN.
So, is The View on the chopping block?
Though talk shows and late-night programs have long sidestepped the rule under the “bona fide news” classification, Carr now seems unconvinced that The View still qualifies.
“I would assume you can make the argument that The View is a bona fide news show, but I’m not so sure about that,” Carr said. “And I think it’s worthwhile to have the FCC look into whether The View and some of these other programs still qualify as bona fide news programs.”
Though talk shows and late-night programs have long sidestepped the rule under the “bona fide news” classification, Carr now seems unconvinced that The View still qualifies.
“I would assume you can make the argument that The View is a bona fide news show, but I’m not so sure about that,” Carr said. “And I think it’s worthwhile to have the FCC look into whether The View and some of these other programs still qualify as bona fide news programs.”
Will 'The View' be canceled?
While late-night shows and talk programs typically sidestep that rule by qualifying as “bona fide news” under FCC guidelines, Carr may decide to challenge whether The View still fits that bill.
“I would assume you can make the argument that The View is a bona fide news show, but I’m not so sure about that,” Carr said. “And I think it’s worthwhile to have the FCC look into whether The View and some of these other programs still qualify as bona fide news programs.”
Fans of The View are disappointed hosts didn't address Jimmy Kimmel's suspension
'The View' hosts silent regarding Kimmel's suspension
Though The View is known for its hot takes on just about everything (most notably, celebrities, culture, and politics), fans were outraged that none of the hosts so much as mentioned Kimmel's suspension on today's show.
Several posted on The View's Instagram immediately after the show, expressing their anger and disappointment. One wrote: "KIMMEL?? Hello??? NOT A WORD TODAY????? This is insanity"
Another said "I guess some topics are just too hot. Disappointing to say the least."
A third chimed in "No Kimmel?? Are you all be silenced as well? This is so scary. The episode isn’t even on YouTube. What is going on??"
Who spoke up for Jimmy Kimmel?
While the ladies of The View remained noticeably silent on the topic, many celebrities spoke out in support of Kimmel. In the first late-night broadcasts after Kimmel's suspension, many late-night hosts addressed the situation with satirical stagings of "government-approved" monologues, like Jon Stewart's viral "patriotically obedient" monologue.
Yahoo CreatorCassandra BrooklynI'm Cassandra, a freelance writer, guidebook author, and photographer who loves all things outdoors. I've written for The New York Times, National Geographic, Wall Street Journal, Lonely Planet, Travel + Leisure, and dozens more. My work tends to focus on sustainability, accessibility, and the outdoors and I have a special love for hiking, biking, and kayaking. I started as a solo traveler, now do a lot of family travel, and also multi-gen and accessible travel
Fox News Host Rips Trump’s Remarks on Jimmy Kimmel: ‘Something Putin Would Say’
Mediaite
Fri, September 19, 2025
Fox News host and former congressman Harold Ford Jr. pulled no punches this week in blasting the Trump administration for putting its fingers on the scale regarding the suspension of late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.
“If you make your living in this world through words—written word, the said word, the spoken word—today or last night might cause you to think differently about where we are,” Ford began, referring to the free speech crackdown following Charlie Kirk’s horrific killing. Kimmel was suspended after Trump’s FCC chairman threatened ABC over a recent monologue from Kimmel on Kirk’s alleged shooter.
“I watched the president today, and I give the president the benefit of the doubt on a lot of things. He was on Air Force One coming back from a very successful trip to London,” Ford said, adding:
He says, “They’re 97% against. They give me only bad press.” He was talking about the broadcast news. “People get public licenses. They’re getting a license. I would think maybe their license should be taken away. It would be up to Brendan Carr.”
Now, if you didn’t tell me who said that, I would never think that quote was an American president—Democrat, Republican, whatever.
“I would think that sounds like something Putin would say. He took one of our own. Thank God we got him out, Evan. I would think it’s something Orbán would say in Hungary. I would think it’d be something that the North Korea guy would say,” Ford argued, making clear he found Trump’s comments to be authoritarian in nature. He added:
Number two: is SNL next? The president, in his quote last night, said that NBC ought to be on notice as well. And Saturday Night Live has done some of the great skits. I love that first part of it where they take on the political news of the day. I remember how much they took on Clinton. I was in Congress at the time. I had to think Clinton was probably upset. I laughed about some of the things. Some of the things I didn’t laugh about, but it was funny. They took on H.W. Bush. There were so many—they took on Ross Perot when he was running, they took on W, they took on Clinton.
“They also got rid of Shane Gillis, which means they made a decision about people they didn’t want on the show,” interjected Greg Gutfeld.
“So Greg, I’d say this to you, brother: if there’s a Democrat that gets elected and he or she decides to come after Greg Gutfeld, I will defend you as much as I’m defending this,” Ford said, adding:
I just think this is—as much as we disagree with what he said, some of it was not funny what Jimmy Kimmel said. But there were so many aspects of this that we’re not talking about: the company Nexstar, which is a great company, they’re in the middle of trying to acquire a company, and the person who’s going to make the decision about whether or not they can acquire the entity is the FCC. And Mr. Carr made—did not run away from that point last night on television on our great Sean Hannity show. He was quoted last night and said, “We can do this the hard way or the easy way.” Again, I would think this was a foreign leader saying this, not the United States.
So some of this humor I don’t like, and I don’t laugh at some of the stuff at night. But I’m just not convinced that the state should be deciding free press. And more importantly, when Mr. President—when President Trump said “he has no talent, he should be off”—I didn’t realize that the person that would be deciding whether or not talent should be on television would be the president of the United States.
There’s no doubt people get suspended for things that they say or that they don’t say or the way they say it in networks. And for that matter, companies have every right to do that. But I would only say to Mr. Carr, who said that these broadcast licenses—that these people have to act in the public interest—and he said they have every right to go get a podcast or go online… Think about this: on most broadcast shows, news shows, the local licenses, they can’t have a show for 30 minutes on how to build a Molotov cocktail. You know why? Because it’s not in the public interest. They can’t tell you how to build a nuclear bomb. You know why? It’s not in the public interest. But you can do it here.
Mr. Carr, spend some of your time trying to figure out how we regulate these people, how we regulate the radicalization and all of this stuff online that’s pummeling our kids and pummeling our society as much as you are this.
The courts—you’re right, Emily—will make the determination here, but I got to tell you, I’m a little alarmed today because I can’t believe we’re going to allow the government to tell us what’s funny, what’s not, and what’s permissible.
Watch The post Fox News Host Rips Trump’s Remarks on Jimmy Kimmel: ‘Something Putin Would Say’ first appeared on Mediaite.
Mediaite
Fri, September 19, 2025
Fox News host and former congressman Harold Ford Jr. pulled no punches this week in blasting the Trump administration for putting its fingers on the scale regarding the suspension of late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.
“If you make your living in this world through words—written word, the said word, the spoken word—today or last night might cause you to think differently about where we are,” Ford began, referring to the free speech crackdown following Charlie Kirk’s horrific killing. Kimmel was suspended after Trump’s FCC chairman threatened ABC over a recent monologue from Kimmel on Kirk’s alleged shooter.
“I watched the president today, and I give the president the benefit of the doubt on a lot of things. He was on Air Force One coming back from a very successful trip to London,” Ford said, adding:
He says, “They’re 97% against. They give me only bad press.” He was talking about the broadcast news. “People get public licenses. They’re getting a license. I would think maybe their license should be taken away. It would be up to Brendan Carr.”
Now, if you didn’t tell me who said that, I would never think that quote was an American president—Democrat, Republican, whatever.
“I would think that sounds like something Putin would say. He took one of our own. Thank God we got him out, Evan. I would think it’s something Orbán would say in Hungary. I would think it’d be something that the North Korea guy would say,” Ford argued, making clear he found Trump’s comments to be authoritarian in nature. He added:
Number two: is SNL next? The president, in his quote last night, said that NBC ought to be on notice as well. And Saturday Night Live has done some of the great skits. I love that first part of it where they take on the political news of the day. I remember how much they took on Clinton. I was in Congress at the time. I had to think Clinton was probably upset. I laughed about some of the things. Some of the things I didn’t laugh about, but it was funny. They took on H.W. Bush. There were so many—they took on Ross Perot when he was running, they took on W, they took on Clinton.
“They also got rid of Shane Gillis, which means they made a decision about people they didn’t want on the show,” interjected Greg Gutfeld.
“So Greg, I’d say this to you, brother: if there’s a Democrat that gets elected and he or she decides to come after Greg Gutfeld, I will defend you as much as I’m defending this,” Ford said, adding:
I just think this is—as much as we disagree with what he said, some of it was not funny what Jimmy Kimmel said. But there were so many aspects of this that we’re not talking about: the company Nexstar, which is a great company, they’re in the middle of trying to acquire a company, and the person who’s going to make the decision about whether or not they can acquire the entity is the FCC. And Mr. Carr made—did not run away from that point last night on television on our great Sean Hannity show. He was quoted last night and said, “We can do this the hard way or the easy way.” Again, I would think this was a foreign leader saying this, not the United States.
So some of this humor I don’t like, and I don’t laugh at some of the stuff at night. But I’m just not convinced that the state should be deciding free press. And more importantly, when Mr. President—when President Trump said “he has no talent, he should be off”—I didn’t realize that the person that would be deciding whether or not talent should be on television would be the president of the United States.
There’s no doubt people get suspended for things that they say or that they don’t say or the way they say it in networks. And for that matter, companies have every right to do that. But I would only say to Mr. Carr, who said that these broadcast licenses—that these people have to act in the public interest—and he said they have every right to go get a podcast or go online… Think about this: on most broadcast shows, news shows, the local licenses, they can’t have a show for 30 minutes on how to build a Molotov cocktail. You know why? Because it’s not in the public interest. They can’t tell you how to build a nuclear bomb. You know why? It’s not in the public interest. But you can do it here.
Mr. Carr, spend some of your time trying to figure out how we regulate these people, how we regulate the radicalization and all of this stuff online that’s pummeling our kids and pummeling our society as much as you are this.
The courts—you’re right, Emily—will make the determination here, but I got to tell you, I’m a little alarmed today because I can’t believe we’re going to allow the government to tell us what’s funny, what’s not, and what’s permissible.
Watch The post Fox News Host Rips Trump’s Remarks on Jimmy Kimmel: ‘Something Putin Would Say’ first appeared on Mediaite.
No comments:
Post a Comment