Below is my column in the Hill on the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel and how long advocates of censorship and blacklisting are suddenly alarmed over the threat to free speech. The greatest comedic relief came from Hillary Clinton, one of the most anti-free speech figures of the last decade. Without a hint of self-awareness or shame, Clinton expressed horror at a suspension over spreading disinformation.
Democrats were finally outraged this week. No, it was not about the murder of Charlie Kirk, but rather the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night comedy show.
Democratic leaders are taking to the airways to denounce the decision to take Kimmel off the air after he spread disinformation about Charlie Kirk’s alleged killer.
The same leaders and pundits who have for years fought for censorship in the name of combating disinformation are now making the very arguments they ridiculed just months ago. Democrats once wrote letters to Internet carriers suggesting that Fox News, the most popular cable news network, should be taken off the air in the name of combating disinformation. That was when the Democrats controlled the White House and were targeting conservatives.
Suddenly, now, disinformation is no longer a valid reason to censor and alleged government-corporate alliances are a menace to free speech.
After the tragedy in Utah, many on the left immediately tried to deflect responsibility for the murder by claiming that Kirk’s killer was actually a Trump supporter. On his show, Kimmel declared that “the MAGA Gang” was “desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”
The far-left motivations of the alleged assassin, Tyler Robinson, were already well known. His family confirmed that he had been radicalized with leftist ideology and cited pro-transgender views. This was not even a joke — it was just a false factual claim made by Kimmel on national television. And it came at a time when others were spreading this lie.
Despite stories to the contrary, many repeated the false claim. For example, Harvard Law Professor Laurence Tribe posted that “Kirk’s apparent assassin seems to have been ultra-MAGA, exploding the GOP/MAGA attempt to pin the blame for this tragedy on liberals.” (Previously, Tribe had claimed that the October 2023 massacre of Israelis by Hamas was a “wag-the-dog” operation to distract from corruption allegations against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu).
The disinformation took hold on the Internet and social media. One poll showed that a plurality of Americans think Robinson was a conservative.
Call it assassination denial. It is all the rage. Former MSNBC and ESPN host Keith Olbermann wrote after Kimmel’s suspension, “Burn in hell, Sinclair. Alongside Charlie Kirk.” He added that “nothing [Kimmel] said was untrue.”
Curiously, some of these politicians and pundits are claiming that, yet again, democracy will die if Kimmel is not allowed to spread disinformation. There are reports that Kimmel was refusing to apologize and planned to double down on the attacks on conservatives in his next show. Faced with a revolt by affiliates and a potential exodus of advertisers, Disney’s head, Bob Iger, pulled the plug. (By the way, Kimmel’s ratings had been falling for years, and he had a smaller audience than the Colbert Show, which was itself discontinued due to loss of money).
The hypocrisy was pure comedy. For years, these same voices demanded censorship of individuals deemed to be spreading disinformation, misinformation, and malinformation. The last category was used by the Biden administration to target statements “based on fact, but used out of context to mislead, harm, or manipulate.”
At the same time, they mocked claims that corporations were working with the government to maintain this censorship system.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) ran on a pledge to impose new criminal and civil penalties for anyone spreading disinformation. Now, however, censorship is intolerable. Warren told CNN “we know there was federal interference … We saw the government step up and give a hard shove and then we saw a compliant company turn around and suspend Mr. Kimmel.” She added that his collaboration with corporations “truly undermines the whole premise of the First Amendment.”
Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) called the suspension one of “the most blatant attacks on the free press in American history.” Schiff had previously demanded that Twitter suspend an array of users and “reduce the visibility” of blacklisted individuals — including a journalist who held opposing views. When Elon Musk reduced censorship at X, it was Schiff who warned Facebook not to follow his example by restoring free speech protections. Schiff threatened legislative action if the company moved to “alter or roll back certain misinformation policies.”
This week, Schiff is outraged by a company’s decision to suspend a host who refused to correct a false story he had spread.
For years, I appeared before these same leaders in Congress as they defended corporate censorship and dismissed allegations of collaboration with the government. I would not cancel Kimmel so long as his show was profitable. But I have long maintained that companies can limit the free speech of employees at work. I do not believe Kimmel should be censored on social media for spreading false information. At the same time, ABC does not have to lose money or viewers because an employee attacks others with vile, false claims.
Now Disney is accused of killing democracy itself, in league with Trump. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) attacked Trump for “trying to destroy our democracy” and acting like “many would-be despots.” Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) used Kimmel’s suspension as evidence that “fascism is not on the way, it is here.”
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) insisted that suspending a host for spreading false information about a murder was “North Korea-style stuff” while Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) insisted that it is “what Putin would do.” It is a curious spin, since Putin and Kim Jong Un value media figures who spread false information — particularly about murders.
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) went so far as to compare Kimmel to Thomas Paine, the author of Common Sense and “Penman of the revolution.”
So Kimmel is now a hero of democracy — all he had to do was spread disinformation. That makes this the funniest joke that Kimmel never told.
Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University. He is the author of the bestselling book “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage.”
The left takes another hit. Stay crazy libs.
______________________________________
Dems Make WORST POLITICAL MISCALCULATION In HISTORY… 100 MILLION PEOPLE Streamed Kirk Memorial.
So please keep trashing Mr Kirk… it will be 200 million.
Well worth watching! An impressive display of authentic Christian commitment (Erika Kirk) followed by our President saying “I’m not 100% sold on the part about loving your enemies and wishing then well — I hate my enemies and I don’t wish them well (laughter). But, maybe some of you will whisper in my ear, and move me more in your direction — we’ll have to see”.
Classic Trump being himself, and perfectly in the moment. Not buying into all that Christian benevolence stuff (but open to being nudged with it).
Dustoff, stay crazy MAGA. BTW, 100 Million is a lie. No way that can be proven. But you always push lies.
The Charlie Kirk memorial was a very significant cultural-political event, one whose impact is yet to be measured, but could be an inflection point.
The only thing Jimmy would be good for…
meow meow meow meow
Meow meow meow meow
Meow meow meow meow meow meow mew meow
Kimmel and bits
Kimmel and bits
More bad news for Jimmy
Source: CNN
Sal Iacono, Jimmy Kimmel’s cousin and a long-time writer and performer on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” suggested Sunday that the show may not be coming back on the air after ABC indefinitely suspended the program last week.
Are there people on Fox News who are not talented? If so, why don’t they get fired for having no talent?
Jealous one you are.
So sad..
How does this answer the question?
Takes talent to make money.
No it does not. But that’s why you’re poor. Keep shoveling shite dude.
Odd. Then why is it the untalented ones are the ones getting fired? Like Colbert. He was only talented in being not funny and insulting over half of the country. As a result, advertisers do not want to spend money on a untalented show, few watch. The untalented Colbert was costing CBS $40M a year. So, what do they do? End his contract as he was so untalented they were losing money.
Same goes for Kimmel.
Funny, if I am so poor, how is it, between all my retirement investments, PMs, I am up some $10k since July? Gold just hit another high and silver is doing very well.
If your retirement investments are only up $10,000 since July, then your investments are either very small, or very poorly invested.
Since July 1, my retirement accounts are up over $400,000.
I made over $39,000 just today.
Stoopid one you are. So obvious.
They don’t lie and they make money!
I don’t think that Greg Gutfeld is all that funny.
You could have condensed your comment to just the first three words.
Yet he gets far move viewers.
Will the numbers are in folks. Gen Z is leaving the crazy left wing party behind.
Yea you fools even chased them away too. Feel proud.
Cheering something that goes against a court ruling is nothing to be proud of.
The government cannot coerce private entities to suppress views it does not like.
This is what has happened.
You are happy that views you don’t like have been suppressed.
Here you are, on a free speech blog, cheering censorship.
ano
Here you are, on a free speech blog, cheering censorship.
*********************
Are you really this dumb? This is a private blog. The owner can do what ever he/she wants.
You do know the difference right?
@Dustoff
@Dustoff
Oops. Premature send. But yes, the irony couldn’t be cut with the sharpest knife. The people can get bent. You aren’t convincing anyone, and your employers are basically lighting dollars on fire. We know who you are. Don’t expect anything to change, but just know, that we know, and consider what that means going forward. We see you.
That’s a bit defensive. You’d be 100% correct if there was no “nudging” by Trump and FCC Chair.
But there was. Just like the Biden people were nudging Twitter to cancel their detractors.
It’s a stain on America that Adam Schiff is a member of the US Senate.
https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2025/09/16/weaponized_scoops_new_russiagate_documents_expose_mediagovernment_collusion_1134958.html
Communists (liberals, progressives, socialists, democrats, RINOs, AINOs) are crazy parasites who simply want other people’s money, success, and status.
Actual Americans want nothing more than the freedom to be patriotic and self-reliant and to “pursue happiness” as free, separate, and sovereign individuals, which is what, and nothing more, the Constitution and Bill of Rights provide.
Social Security and Medicare are the two largest components of anti-American and unconstitutional redistributionist communism in America.
When do Americans reacquire their full and complete, unmitigated and absolute constitutional rights, freedoms, privileges, and immunities?
So…radical individualism will solve our problems? The Founders set things up to balance power between individuals and the larger community. They said that ONLY a community consisting of people of virtue could be successful with self-government (i.e., avoid being reduced to warring gangs led by strongmen, nor oppressed by a tyrannical monarch).
Actual Americans realize we need government to maintain order and justice, and it needs to be public-focussed and responsive to majority sentiment. It needs to be smartly led. It needs to be grounded in objective facts, not artful falsehoods put forth by special interests for their benefit.
Please cite the Constitution.
It was a gathering of lions. Trump and Musk came together at the memorial to show sympathy for Charlie Kirk and his family, and I witnessed the most compelling moment I’ve seen in a long time: Erika Kirk forgave Tyler Robinson.
Then the Left call the memorial a NAZI rally. Erika is an angel, but Trump is right about the Left. They have earned our hatred. They will relish it until they don’t. Lions will hunt.
The Left’s overuse of “Nazi” to mean nothing more than “not us” has drained the accusation of any force it previously had.
Diogenes,
As I have stated here on the good professor’s blog more than a few times, I am not religious.
However, watching her, before that massive crowd and on TV, her showing she is willing to forgive him rather than allow hate to fester within her was a example of leading by example. All those who attended and those who watched should follow her lead.
A stark difference between MAGA and our leftist friends.
She claimed she forgave the killer. A calculated political posture; forgiveness is personal and need not be shared, but saying she does to a wide audience is a way to amplify the difference between her and the nebulous evil that Trump and Miller conjured for the crowd.
It costs her nothing as the state is looking to kill him, satisfying any private feelings she has. If she sits in on the trial and sentencing and makes a plea that killing is always wrong and tells the Turning Point followers to show the same concern as was shown on Jan 6th – maybe without the wall climbing, the breaking and entering, and the beating of police – so that every Turning Point member forgives the killer, that would be genuine and useful.
Make no mistake – none of this extravaganza is what Jesus would have done. It’s not Christian at all.
Erika forgave the killer. That was certainly the most Christian thing anyone on the right has done so far. However, Trump did the exact opposite. Spewed hate and vitriol all over the place. It seems Trump is milking all the rage he can out of that crowd.
Bull You left wing fools throw hate at not only Trump, but anyone else that doesn’t follow this crazy, insane path of yours.
“So Kimmel is now a hero of democracy”
This demonstrates how low Democrats have fallen. Though the anonymous bloggers on this list don’t recognize it, it is happening, and they are being left behind.
Saying it and believing it are two different things. But your point isn’t clear.
S. Meyer’s points are never clear.
My comments are aimed at people age 5 and above.
Hilarious!!
Your observation is correct.
Meyer’s points are never clear.
Unfortunately, he suffers from multiple psychiatric disorders that profoundly impair his ability to think rationally and express himself.
As his psychiatrist I have been trying to help him with these problems, but so far my efforts have been to no avail.
Sigmund Fraud, you are one of those special people who have a reading level of less than 5 years of age.
Note here the perseveration in Meyer’s comments.
He starts with the comment about 5 year olds and is unable to let it go. He simply repeats the ideation.
Perseveration is suggestive of obsessive compulsive disorder or schizophrenia.
Fraud, are you trying to practice the art of medicine and psychology? Is this your attempt to prove yourself educated, or just your audition for quack of the year?
Maybe you have the issue, not Mr Meyers.
Keep believing that..
Excuse me, but who is this Jimmy Kimmel fellow?
Meyer, you are right. It’s hard to imagine a political party falling farther than having a large contingent celebrating the murder of an innocent young man whose only crime was supporting freedom of speech and inviting people, especially those with different political views, to have a reasoned and civil discussion if the issues. The outright lies and slander being perpetrated even by members of Congress in that party shows it is not just a few unhinged people but a problem inherent in the party itself.
OldManFromKS,
We were having dinner with friends yesterday, discussing the assassination and the reaction, I noted that twenty years ago, in a dive bar, there would of been one guy in the corner who might of cheered. The rest would of looked on sadly.
Then compared to today, my one friend said it was alarming to see so many people cheering murder on! And it is not just some young college kids either. Some NJ fifth-grade math teacher resigned after posting on Facebook, “Some people have to die – buh bye.” Based off the pic, she looks to be in her 30 or 40s! What is wrong with these people?
S. Meyer,
Well said and I agree.
There have been Democrat strategist, the sane and normal ones, whom have said that they have lost the narrative. Even the NYT had a article about how Democrats lost some 2.1M voters while the Republicans gained 2.4M in the same time. Bill Maher said something to the effect that if the Democrat party continues on with the stupid and crazy, they are doomed.
Democrats, if you want to win elections, you have got to get the stupid and crazy OUT of your party!! Look at all the annony comments Dennis, the slow and dumb one, Gigi’s comments. Those are the people who are dragging you party down!!! Give them the boot!!
“So Kimmel is now a hero of democracy”
No. He’s not a hero in any way. Trump, on the other hand, is a villain attacking democracy, as are the majority of those appointed to positions in the Trump administration.
Can you add proof? Why not?
Most intelligent people can answer that question. The answer is obvious. Your ignorance is so loud, it echoes.
In the name of fairness, the FCC should pass a rule making it a requirement that preceding any press conference, announcement, or interview involving a Democrat, the following should be played:
Dear Prof Turley,
You must be joking. Hillary Clinton and over 51 top intel officials no longer even have security clearances. .. much less the political or moral authority to suborn and manipulate public opinion.
DJT is president now, and controls [most of] the levers of power. .. thanks, in great part, to public servants like Hillary.
Kimmel may not be very funny, but we are not communists here.
*evidently, the FBI, TPUSA and the Surgeon/Coroner are saying the assassination of Charlie Kirk was like a miracle.. .
That is the crazy MAGA conspiracy theorists claiming Kirk was killed by a magic bullet. We all say an exit wound. Apparently they didn’t or don’t want to.
Kirk was killed by a left wing nut assassin.
Details about the bullet are unimportant – beyond that the riffle was high power and had a very expensive scope and Robinson showed poor marksmanship in missing his head with an excellent weapon from that range.
But all that is details. What matters is that Kirk was politically assassinated.
We have not had a similar clearly political assassination since MLK.
And that those of you on the left have shamed yourselves in your reaction to that assassination.
Unlike Turley – I do not beleive that we are in some special era of rage rhetoric – our founders were often vile in their political digs at each other.
Nor do I beleive that Rage rhetoric drives political violence – most allegedly political violence is by people with severe mental health problems and they are going to do something bad regardless.
To the extent public rhetoric has any effect – it picks their target, and even that is dubious as most of their manefestos are a grab bag of nonsense from left, right and mars.
But those of you on the left OWN your hateful response to Kirks assassination.
Do not speak ill of the dead is an ancient aphorism. We may violate it all the time – but we usually wait until well after the funeral. You did not wait until the body was cold.
“ Kirk was killed by a left wing nut assassin.”
Wrong. Trump’s DOJ says not true. That claim is not supported by the evidence.
“ Details about the bullet are unimportant – beyond that the riffle was high power and had a very expensive scope and Robinson showed poor marksmanship in missing his head with an excellent weapon from that range.”
And this is relevant because….?
“ We have not had a similar clearly political assassination since MLK.”
Are you sure about that? One Minnesota lawmaker was killed and one wounded. How is that not a political assassination? Apparentlhy it wasn’t serious enough for Republicans or MAGA to lose their minds over.
“ Nor do I beleive that Rage rhetoric drives political violence – most allegedly political violence is by people with severe mental health problems and they are going to do something bad regardless.“
But you still imply Kirk’s assassin was influenced by the left’s rhetoric. Everyone on the right did. Until the facts came out. Now it’s an individual suffering from mental illnes. I didn’t stop Trump from claiming the left’s rhetoric radicalized Robinson.
“ Do not speak ill of the dead is an ancient aphorism. We may violate it all the time – but we usually wait until well after the funeral. You did not wait until the body was cold.”
I agree. However it’s still free speech. We don’t usually wait until the body is cold. Those on the right wasted no time pointing fingers and laying blame on the left without a shred of evidence. They were already making him into a martyr, a saint, and anything less is considered heresy to the right. The truth sometimes is uncomfortable. There were those on the right who wated no time mocking and celebrating the attack on Nacy Pelosi’s husband. Such respect from a crowd so sensitive over any slight on Charlie Kirk’s character. How ironic.
Now we have the right fully embracing cancel culture and demands to punish anyone who dares besmirch Charlie Kirk’s name.
“ But those of you on the left OWN your hateful response to Kirks assassination.”
Only small number do. The extreme left. But the majority spent the days and hours right after Kirk’s death condemning the violence and calling for calm. The right did what it does best. Play victim and lay blame on everyone and call for vengeance and political violence and censorship.
During Kirk’s memorial service the contrast on rhetoric was stark. His wife forgave Kirk’s killer. Trump ratcheted up the hate rhetoric. Who is bound to be emotionally disturbed enough on the right to “return the favor”? Rhetoric does lead to action. Let’s not pretend that it is not relevant.
@X
You are George. You have been many others. We all know it. If you had a shred of sanity left rolling around in that noggin of yours, you’d stop. Not holding my breath. Nobody cares, George.
“You must be joking. Hillary Clinton and over 51 top intel officials no longer even have security clearances. .. much less the political or moral authority to suborn and manipulate public opinion.”
If only that were true.
“DJT is president now, and controls [most of] the levers of power. .. thanks, in great part, to public servants like Hillary.”
“Kimmel may not be very funny, but we are not communists here.”
Kimmel is not – but Mamdami is – openly.
Regardless., those like you who defend government censorship of disinformation have ZERO legg to stand on when the free market censors Kimmel for idiotically false and massively defamatory remarks.
Mamdani is not communist. He’s a democratic socialist. Bernie Sanders calls himself a democratic socialist as well. Conflating the two seems to be a recurring problem to those who don’t understand the difference.
“ Regardless., those like you who defend government censorship of disinformation have ZERO legg to stand on when the free market censors Kimmel for idiotically false and massively defamatory remarks.”
What government censorship are you talking about?
Biden’s pressure on Social Media companies? You seem perfectly ok with that ever since Trump’s FCC openly called for Kimmy’s removal because they didn’t like what he was saying. You stated over the weeked that Trump and Carr were wrong, but you’re apparently ok with it as long as it’s done with the “turnabout is fair play” excuse. That is not standing on principle.
Kimmel was removed because the FCC was openly implying Nextstar’s merger would be in jeopardy if Kimmel was not removed. ABC executives admitted Kimmel’s comments had not crossed a line at all. What did he lie about? What was the misinformation? Carr even admitted that it only “appeared” Kimmel was saying what MAGA wanted him to be saying. Now what he actually said.
kirk is dead – killed by the bullet of a left wing nut assassin.
Really do not care about his neck.
He was not a left wing nut. He came from a conservative Mormon family who were big fans of the gun culture. That doesn’t paint him as a leftist. Maybe his family’s ugly views on transgenderism and/or Kirks did not sit well with him given his relationship with his partner. That does not mean he was leftist.
Trump’s credibility does not come from holding the levers of power.
But his holding the levers of power does come from his credibility.
Hillary and the 51 IC officials and the rest of the left have not lost their credibility because they no longer control the levers of power. They do not control the levers of power – because the people have deemed them not credible.
That said – YOU and many other left wings nuts still hold Clinton (and Kimmel) and other credible,
and do not hold Trump as credible.
That is a reflection of your poor judgement – which is fortunately not shared by the majority.
John Say,
Great comment and spot on!
Conspiracy nonsense folks!
“ That said – YOU and many other left wings nuts still hold Clinton (and Kimmel) and other credible,
and do not hold Trump as credible.”
It appears Turley is the one who holds her credible. Not the left. The left could care less about what she said or did a long time ago. The right, more specifically Turley, keeps bringing her back whenever he needs a distraction from whatever problems Trump gets himself into and Professor Turley finds himself trying hard not to criticize Trump. Obviously Hunter Biden has been done to death. So Hillary is the next best thing. It’s pretty sad.
The government did not order Disney/ABC to fire Kimmel. A single FCC commissioner made a vague statement that Kimmel’s lie might have risen to a level where the FCC would rule against them, but that he was not pre-judging. The largest ABC affiliate had already announced that it would no longer run Kimmel’s show BEFORE the commissioner made the vague statement.
Kimmel could have fixed it by agreeing to apologize for lying to the American public and correcting the record. He refused.
Did you read the reason why DG. Or just post more nonsense.
A few comments below made me sad that there are those who would use petty barbs about the Widow.
I will not withhold my contempt for the left, their pettiness and delusions are being rejected and a new light is becoming brighter with every passing day. Facts are now cracking open the deception of their supposed truths, exposing them as charlatans’ that will lie at the drop of a hat while espousing their Communistic Inclinations.
I think the glass is past half full on the road to recovery of our Country.
God help us All!
Good Lord man are you daft?
Fascist are self aware
They just want power
MAGA too.
I used to watch ‘The Man Show’ on Comedy Central back in the day, and trust me: Jimmy Kimmel has never told a funny joke. He always looked like the kid at the grownup table, even way back then.
Some of his peers are legitimately gifted, this ignominious end is not a surprise for him in particular, you can only ride coat tails for so long. Ditto for Colbert, and that actually IS the free market of ideas at work. These people are worse than children at this point. It would be hysterical were it not so serious, and it is something we are in the process of course correcting. Make no mistake, I’m no ‘Christian Conservative’, I have about as much use for church as I did for ‘The Man Show’, but this is patently absurd on its face. Sorry we who are not in either camp have the temerity to say so after being abused by the proxy of insanity for years; deal with it.
You got fired because you suck, and always have, Jimmy, basically. Many of us have always thought so, independently of dogma.
James,
Here is Matt Taibbi’s take,
“Of all the network late night acts, Kimmel’s was the most vicious and unredeeming, continually hitting new lows during the pandemic in particular, with the aforementioned AntiVax Barbie and his “Rest in Peace, Wheezy” monologue sure to go down as cultural anti-landmarks. Virtually everything he said in the Trump era was DNC messaging with a punchline, putting him on course to spend the afterlife doing laps in media hell with Keith Olbermann. With his ratings in freefall, Disney was going to drop the axe sooner or later.”
Taibbi is a conspiracy nut.
@Upstate
That about covers it. I do not how Kimmel was recruited as a mouthpiece for the modern left (I’m thinking: $$$), but this is so stupid, most of us don’t care, and yes, I suspect he was going to be let go anyway. Employers, take note: this is how modern leftists deal with being fired. Our laws are meaningless to them. Being arrested, even though everyone knows precisely where you are is being ‘disappeared’, and being fired for being a shi**y employee is ‘censorship’. We have passed the point of adult behavior on the left, and that they continue to claim the opposite is simply hilarious. It is no wonder their kids are so f***ed up when they are petulant children themselves.
And they are. My wife is a teacher, and we are pretty sick of dealing with your adult inadequacies, and I use the term ‘adult’ loosely. Grow the eff up. Don’t know who beyond your circle of 20 friends you think you are impressing anymore, but you aren’t. Some of us think about the *actual*, human, greater good. And that does not and will never include being an asleep, socialist or communist puppet. What the h*** happened to you people?
Jonathan: Sorry, Jon, but you are the one spreading “disinformation. FACT CHECK: The Biden administration never threatened to revoke broadcast licenses of media companies that refused to delete disinformation about Covid-19. DJT is first President to threaten revocation of broadcast licenses because he doesn’t like what anyone, including late night comedians have to say about him.
So DJT has his FCC Chair Brendon Carr threatens Disney if it didn’t remove the Jimmy Kimmel show. Carr warned “we can do this the easy way or the hard way”. But there has been pushback on both sides of the aisle. Even MAGA Senator Ted Cruz criticized Carr by saying his statement was right out of “Good Fellas” and such threats were unconstitutional. On Monday Sirius XM superstar Howard Stern spoke out in support of Kimmel: “I just know when government begins to interfere…when the government says, ‘I’m not pleased with you so we’re going to orchestrate a way to silence you’ it’s the wrong direction for the country. It isn’t good, and I should know”.
What is ironic is Disney did not have to cave to Carr’s threats. It had the constitutional right not to suspend Kimmel. In NRA vs Vullo (2024) the SC unanimously ruled that a government official cannot use threats to coerce a private company into punishing or suppressing disfavored speech. The Court, even the MAGA majority, ruled such threats were unconstitutional “jawboning”. But Disney agreed to cave in advance because it was not in its financial interests. That decision was bad for freedom of expression and the First Amendment.
At Charlie Kirk’s memorial service in Arizona yesterday his widow, Erica Kirk, said: “I forgive him [Tyler Robinson] because it is what Christ did…”. DJT was not so forgiving: “He [Kirk] did not hate his opponents. He wanted the best for them. That’s when I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponent and I don’t want the best for them”. DJT’s heart is full of hate. So he is using the government to go after and silence anyone who criticizes or makes fun of him. That’s what dictators do. But the joke is not on Steven Colbert or Jimmy Kimmel. The joke is on DJT!
@Anonymous
You are a coward and an idiot. Just as with Kimmel, most of us think so. But by all means, spew your verbal sewage. Many of us are not so stoned, drunk, or medicated (or all three) we can actually remember what happened yesterday.
ano
DJT’s heart is full of hate.
___________________________
Nope, but he is a human being who has been shot at, sued is every way you can, called a rapiLst with zero proof.
So yeah I can user stand how he feels. As you would too if the same had been done to you.
Yeah Carr has not done anything against the Jimmy Kimmel. So stop lying.
The sexual assault accusation wasn’t made up, and couldn’t have been made up. It took place before ANYBODY knew Trump would go into politics. A contemporaneous witness was told about the assault within 2 weeks of when it happened. Therefore, how could the accuser’s motivation have been, as Trump claimed, “to make the whole thing up to politically smear me”? She would have had to know 29 years in advance of everyone that Trump would be a political target — an impossibility.
Moreover, the details, in a dressing room at Bergdorf-Goodman? Who would choose such details for a totally-made-up story?
A jury heard the testimony, and all 12 concluded that Trump coercively finger-f’d her. That’s more accurate as to what happened as “rape”. Many other women have said that Trump forced himself on them with unwanted kissing and fondling in his 20s-40s. He boasted about it while running for Pres.
FACT CHECK – Democrats have been using the FCC to threaten the media since the Johnson administration.
Again “The Good, The Bad, and the First amendment” is available on Amazon – it tells a damning tale of Democrat abuse of power using the FCC. Not only have you THREATENED – but you have actually revoked licenses over political speech – and the Warren Court blessed it – Red Lion vs FCC.
“In a unanimous decision, the Court held that the fairness doctrine was consistent with the First Amendment. Writing for the Court, Justice White argued that spectrum scarcity made it “idle to posit an unabridgeable First Amendment right to broadcast comparable to the right of every individual to speak, write, or publish.” The Court held that the FCC’s fairness doctrine regulations enhanced rather than infringed the freedoms of speech protected under the First Amendment. ”
Red Lion vs FCC remains the law of the land – and the FCC under Clinton Obama and Biden has wielded it like a club.
The best we have been able to do is to get SCOTUS to agree that the power of the FCC is more limited with respect to first amendment censorship for non-broadcast medium. The FCC’s power over Cable, and the internet is dramatically less than over broadcast networks.
There are pretty much no Broadcast only content today. The FCC can not shutdown ABC, but it can take aware their license to access the radio waves.
A significant portion of networks today – Fox, CNN, … do NOT own broadcasting networks.
They are not subject to the same constraints by the FCC.
If you do not like this – then you can join conservatives and libertarians who have been trying to shutdown the FCC or limit its powers since Johnson.
https://www.nationalreview.com/2025/09/abolish-the-fcc/
And yes the FCC used covid and National Security claims to strong arm broadcasters not to spread “disinformation” regarding Covid.
Dennis – the FACTS and timeline demonstrate that Sinclair and Nextar had already told Disney/Iger they would not carry Kimmel Before Carr uttered a word.
I will fully agree that Carrs threats were WRONG – unfortunately they were also lawful, and the FCC has been threatening conservatives for 60 years – so few are bent out of shape over Carrs remarks.
But I will happily agree to abolish the FCC
Can we agree to do that ?
There is a world of difference between criticizing Carr an supporting Kimmel.
Kimmels remarks were false.
They were in poor taste,
They were immoral.
And they offended his bosses.
Worse he caused major problems for Disney when his ratings had sucked for years – and had gotten even worse since January.
There is an adage – “do not bite the hand that feeds you”
Kimmel is gone and the culling of the left int he media will continue until the MSM manages to make money – either with a message that appeals to more people, or by cutting enough that they are profitable in the far left niche market.
The age-old tension between free speech vs. community norms/standards can never be solved with a purely rule-based approach. Why? Because humans are insanely creative, and those driven by self-interest, egoism, mischief, or zealotry will always find a clever way to outsmart the rule-makers.
I’m sensing great frustration pinning down free-speech rights to a single uniform standard — where the same rules apply to you and your worst enemies. Instead, people have gravitated toward to a flex double-standard, one for “us” and a less rigorous one for “them”. That way, you can be 100% for free speech.
If we accept that standards of decency, civility and comity are a moving target requiring case-by-case human judgment, the question always boils down to who decides? “Nobody” is surrender to a moral depravity. “The President” is an invitation to ping-pong politics with oscillating double standards. “A Jury” keeps power more in the hands of We The People. That’s why repealing Section 230, and speeding up internet-harm lawsuits might just be the best means to balance freedom of speech with ability to uphold norms — on a case-by-case basis.
What do you think? Anything goes? Strongman approach? Jury calling the shots for each case?
Wrong blog, the kiddieporn on in the dark net.
Government may not violate Kants catagorical imperitive – which is essentially – you can not have “Rules for the, and not for me”.
Personally I would abolish the FCC – it is unnecescary.
But if you are going to keep it – then it can not regulate political speech AT ALL.
But that would require changing the law and reversing Red Lion vs. the FCC.
No you can not have juries decide what speech is allowed – ultimately that degenerates to only allowing he blandest of speech – because you can always find some jury right or left that is offended.
To the extent that you allow SOME regulation of speech – such as no adult content on broadcast communications – then you MUST have well defined bright line rules.
We need not have universal agreement over those rules – thogh we should strive for super majority agreement. But we MUST have clear bright lines.
People must be able to know when they are on the wrong side of the law.
With respect to Kimmel – Current Law and SCOTUS decisions allow Carr to do exactly what the left beleives he did – and democrats have done so for the past 60 years.
But the known facts make clear
First and foremost Disney responded to its audience,
and then to Sinclair and Nexstar,
and then to Kimmel’s own attitude and unwillingness to not double down, much less apologize,
and finally to the fact that Kimmel is losing money.
It is always unwise to give your bosses a reason to fire you when you are performing abysmally.
It is also not likely Kimmel is the last left wingnut that is going to be canned.
The left MSM is losing money. There will be more firings until that changes.
“ Government may not violate Kants catagorical imperitive – which is essentially – you can not have “Rules for the, and not for me”.
But Trump’s government can and does so often.
“ With respect to Kimmel – Current Law and SCOTUS decisions allow Carr to do exactly what the left beleives he did – and democrats have done so for the past 60 years.”
No, SCOTUS has ruled that what Carr did is unconstitutional. Democrats have not that. You provide nothing to back up those assertions. What Carr did was a direct violation of the 1st amendment. Openly threatening private companies to remove someone for saying something the president doesn’t like.
“ But the known facts make clear
First and foremost Disney responded to its audience,
and then to Sinclair and Nexstar,…”
Wrong again. The audience wasn’t the source of the decision. It was Carr’s explicit statements before any decision was made. Nexstar and Sinclair responded first. ABC executives saw nothing wrong with Kimmel’s statements.
Kimmel is getting reinstated because the audience wants him back. Subscribers were dropping Disney + in record numbers.
“ Carr threatened to revoke broadcasting licenses from ABC after late-night TV host Jimmy Kimmel made remarks about Kirk’s death that incensed Republicans and other prominent figures on the right. Just hours after Carr’s remarks, ABC pulled Kimmel’s show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” indefinitely from the airwaves.‘
Except for free speech advocate Professor Turley. He has still said nothing of Carr’s anti-free speech threats. Perhaps that is why he’s been spending an awful lot of time and column space harping about Clinton instead.
Professor Turley is clearly avoiding any condemnation of the FCC’s threats to suspend broadcast licenses until speech they do not like is removed. I thought the professor was against government censorship. Did he change his mind?
X
He has still said nothing of Carr’s anti-free speech threats.
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LOL. Has he done anything? Nope. So can the so called free-speech BS.
Now if you want to talk about someone not having free speech. Try want O-dumber did to the Tea Party by using the IRS to shut them down.
Chew on that one for awhile george
The IRS did not shut down the Tea Party. All they did was investigate allegations. The right as they do now was losing their minds when rumors and innuendo about what the IRS was doing was driving them mad with anger and outrage over rumors. Not actual facts.
That seems to be the theme among Trump supporters or MAGAs. At the slightest hint of offense or percieved slight they go off on a pearl-clutching hysteria parade citing unsupported claims and talk of civil war and whatnot. They really do have some of the thinnest skin of anyone. They love to dole out insults and rage rhetoric. Until someone pushes back or gives them a taste fo their own medicine. That is when they lose their minds like drug addicts on a never-ending bender.
Sounds like what george is doing. The more george gets called out or backs himself into a corner, he lashes out and hisses like a hurt feral cat, flinging fake sarcasm and pretending that he is above his critics. He’s getting more vitriolic everytime he posts, but he still likes to copycat writing styles and phrases (like “I am amused.”) from others who he thinks are smarter and more effective than he. Give it up ole boy.
“All they did was investigate allegations.”
The IRS delayed approvals for 501c3 status for many conservative organizations. Your memory is like a sieve, permitting all useful knowledge to disappear into the garbage. Do you remember Lois Lerner taking the 5th?
“The IRS did not shut down the Tea Party.”
False – they delayed applications for years.
” All they did was investigate allegations.”
False – the office of he IRS involved has ZERO investigatory power.
“Not actual facts.”
Yes, Facts.
“At the slightest hint of offense or percieved slight they go off on a pearl-clutching hysteria parade citing unsupported claims and talk of civil war and whatnot. They really do have some of the thinnest skin of anyone. They love to dole out insults and rage rhetoric. Until someone pushes back or gives them a taste fo their own medicine. That is when they lose their minds like drug addicts on a never-ending bender.”
That would be the left.
Your wigging out entirely because FCC’s Carr said something mean about you and threatened to use the same Powers against you that you have used against conservatives for decades.
Worse still – Carr and Trump did not need to do anything – the Ratings of Left MSM are in the toilet. Even Billionaires will not take losses like these forever to prop up left wing nonsense.
Not only are Colbert and kimmel gone – but they are just the begining.
More and more left wing nuts will get dropped – networks will cut or die, or cut and die, until the left MSM has been thinned to the where the few left wing nut viewers can support them.
It is not conservatives disrupting funerals. Speaking ill of the dead, making themselves look like racist cretins. It is not conservatives rioting, looting, burning things down.
It is not conseratives disrupting law enforcement that is just doing their jobs.
If you do not like the law – change it – that occurs in congress AT THE CAPITAL,
You know – where J6ers went to protest. If you do not like the constitution – Change it – that too starts in congress AT THE CAPITAL.
George – the public flooded the networks with complaints within a few hours.
Nexstar and Sinclair contacted Iger than night and told him they would not carry Kimmel until this was fixed.
Iger setup a meeting with Kimmel that went absymallly – Kimmel not only refused to do as Iger demanded and appologize, but doubled down on further false claims.
Kimmel left heated meeting with Iger and headed straight for his lawyers.
Then and only then did Carr make a stupid remark on a podcast.
Kimmel was already toast.
Unless you are a moron – you are aware that myriads of left wing nuts have been making on air corrections and apologies – it is almost a nighly phenomena for the view.
Maybe they are doing this because of the FCC – except it started under Biden.
Most likely their lawyers are protecting them from defamation lawsuits.
I doubt Iger cared much about Brendan Carr.
I bet he cared an enormous amount that a performer who was losing a fortune subjected Disney to a potentially Billion Dollar Lawsuit, and refused to do anything to mitigate damages.
“I hate my opponents”–September 21, 2025–Donald J. Trump, at Kirk’s memorial, who has openly commanded his “Attorney General” to go after his enemies, even to the extent of firing a career deputy prosecutor who refused to go after Letitia James because there wasn’t any evidence of criminality. So, does Turley, on the MAGA payroll, comment about this? No. His chosen target remains Hillary Clinton and other Democrats. Turley accused Professor Tribe of spreading misinformation. When discussing the motivation of Kirk’s shooter, Professor Tribe used a Turley qualifier: “appears”. Professor Tribe also echoed the sentiment, shared by many, that Netanyhu is continuing the genocide in Israel to avoid criminal prosecution. That is an opinion, not disinformation. Professor Tribe is far more respected that Turley can ever hope to be.
What’s wrong, Turley? Couldn’t you come up with some way to divert attention away from Trump’s historic and unabashed abuse of power he cheated to get to somehow get in some digs at Barak Obama? How about Nancy Pelosi? She certainly *must* have help cause the shooter to kill Kirk–right? The irony of all of this is that Turley tries to blame “the Left” for somehw radicalizing Kirk’s killer. No one really knows the full truth about his motivation, which has to have an element of mental illness. To my knowledge, he has exercised his right to remain silent. Quoting family members does not prove anything.
Ano
Letitia James because there wasn’t any evidence of criminality.
_______________________
O-yes there is, she has even admitted to do the loans that way.
So…where’s the evidence of the admission?
Trump’s AG could not press charges because they didn’t have evidence to present. Just like voter fraud evidence. When it came time to present it. They had none.
ATS – the evidence is the Fannie and Freddie Mortgage paperwork that she signed that specifies that the residence was her primary residence – qualifying her for a lower mortgage and insurance rates. Further these are forms that specifically cite the laws that make it a crime to report this information falsely .
And finally – 18 USC 1001 the supposed lying to an FBI agent crime, was actually enacted in the late 19th century SPECIFICALLY for this.
The government mandated that certain businesses file specific reports, and those businesses were just making up answers. So the government passed 18 USC 1001 making it a crime to report false information to the government.
The biggest impediment to a conviction here is jury nullification – there is plenty of evidence.
And BTW it gets worse – because she has a long patter of misrepresenting her properties in order to get benefits she is not entitled to on documents filed with government.
There is a whole raft of contradictory documents on her rental properties she filed with NYC.
“Professor Tribe is far more respected that Turley can ever hope to be.”
BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Made me spew my coffee!!! Whatta a load of baloney!!!
” Professor Tribe also echoed the sentiment…”
Sadly, a former rigorous academic in recent years degraded himself by trading scholarship for soundbites. The question is, did his brain tumor diminish his former academic excellence?
You ARE referring to Turley–correct?
Your comment demonstrates a level of knowledge that is abysmally lacking. Only Tribe is known to have a brain tumor.
Lawrence Tribe was the Constitutional law Professor for SCOTUS justices John Roberts and Elena Kagan, who also taught with Professor Tribe at Harvard Law School, where she became the Dean of the Law School. Professor Tribe also was the Constitutional Law professor for: President Barak Obama, Senator Raphael “Ted” Cruz, Merrick Garland, Kathleen Sullivan, Jamie Raskin, Senator Adam Schiff and Kenneth Chesebro. He is considered to be the foremost authority on Constitutional law, having authored several authoritative treatises and texts. Turley is not even in the same league as Professor Tribe.
gigi, WHO considers him the “the foremost authority on Constitutional law?” Please cite names or articles.
The greatness of all men fades with time. Tribe had his day, but no longer. One has to wonder whether his brain tumor hastened his decline.
James has violated the law – criminal law. Far more so than she claimed Trump had.
There is TONS of evidence. Others have been prosecuted and gone to jail for what she has done.
Prosecutors do have discretion – they need not prosecute every case.
But they do not have independence from their bosses – not the AG not the President.
None other than Thomas Jefferson – DEMOCRAT and 3rd president of the United states ORDER the US Attorney General to prosecute Political Rival Arron Burr for treason. Revewiwing the case from the White House Daily.
James should resign and take a plea deal – She can not prosecute people for lessor crimes than she has committed herself.
Is prosecuting James “political” – absolutely – as was her prosecution of Trump.
But contra your nonsense – Trump’s conduct was NOT a crime, and it was not illegal.
Conversely James conduct was both illegal and criminal.
When you live by the sword you die by the sword.
Regardless, I am rolling on the floor laughing that you are upset about Trump prosecuting political enemy James.
When you strike the king you must kill the king. James engaged in a massively political prosecution for conduct far less egregious than her own.
She is hoist by her own petard.
It is unlikely that there will be a successful federal prosecution of James in the districts she can be charged in – but she should be charged none-the-less.
As should absolutely everyone who participated in the lawfare against Trump – who was stupid enough to do so with criminal skeletons in their own closet.
BTW US attorney’s can be fired for any reason or no reason at all.
And there is no such think as a career US attorney – they are all political appointments.
Only left wing nuts have any sympathy for James.
She brought this on herself.
With respect to Tribe – you do not get to escape criticism for spreading falsehoods by calling them opinions. Robinson is a creature of the left. It does not “Seem that he is MAGA” – if you buy idiocy like that – you have selective blindness. It requires blinders to note than Robinsons family was conservative without knowing that THEY identified Tyler as increasing moving left since he was 17 – so far that he is on the extreme left.
You can criticize Israel if you wish – but they are not conducting a genocide.
Words have meaning – Far more palestinians were born Since Oct 7 than have died.
The Hutti’s murdered 800,000 Tutu’s in 90 days – that was an attempted genocide.
The Nazi’s murdered 7M Jews most in an 18month period – that was genocide.
Israel has managed to have to engage in an urban battle with Hamas while killing less civilians than the US did in Bagdad.
Did you accuse the US of Genocide.
There are over 2M palestinians in Gaza and 2.9M in the west bank.
Those populations are RISING – that is the opposite of genocide.
Genocide is a real thing – neither the left, nor the UN nor politicians get to make up what it is.
Arguably Russia is engaged in Genocide in Ukraine – there are far more deaths than births.
But there is no Genocide in Israel.
You can beleive that Israel should end the war.
You can beleive the deaths are too high.
You can support the Palestinians.
But when you call something that is absolutely not a Genocide a genocide – you discredit yourself.
Evil Gnomes did not turn Robinson into a left wing nut killer.
The left did.
Yes Robinson’s family members direct observations matter – what in the world do you think evidence is ? The direct overservations of people close to events is called EVIDENCE.
As are Robinson’s texts concurrent with his actions attempting to justify his actions.
As are Robinson Social Media, and remarks to freinds and family.
If you reject those as evidence – you reject the entire concept of evidence
“Professor Tribe is far more respected that Turley can ever hope to be.”
Tribe wrote an excellent book on constitutional law – I have read it.
I have also attended Tribe lectures, and even had exchanges with him via email.
But since he was passed over for a SCOTUS appointment by Obama he has lost his marbles.
Prof. Tribe is one of many formerly respected people on the left that have destroyed their own reputations.
Today Turley has more respect that Tribe.
Hypocrisy is a good way to view this, but let me present an alternative theory. I call it the Anthony Cumia Ten Second Theory. You can hear him explain it in the video below, starting at the 11:45 mark.
The theory is that Black Women, particularly, live life in 10 second intervals, and that each new 10 second period is a new reality, as it were. Maybe this theory has broader applications to the whole Democrat Left, including white people. They do not live life in a continuous series of events, where the truths of the past 10 seconds are applicable, because they live in a new reality every 10 seconds.
That would explain all the mental flip-flopping from the Democrats – that inside every white liberal, is a black woman brain, brawling with Reality, as most of us know it.
Stick to the subject at hand.
Respectfully, I think this is the subject. Something has gone wrong with the Democrats, mentally. They bounce all over the place, one minute anti-free speech, and the next minute pro-free speech. After a few days, I predict they will be anti-free speech again. More and more former Democrats are coming right out and calling their former party “insane.”
As I have said for years, what we are dealing with on the Left, is a mental health crisis, as much as it is a political question, Cognitive dissonance devolving covers much of it, in the same way that Ted Bundy devolved as a serial killer, becoming more and more rabid as time went on. My focus is trying to figure out and explain “more better” what exactly is going on inside their little cerebrums.
Cumia is dead-on accurate describing the Black Woman Ten-Second Time Span thing. Numerous examples of it in his videos, and on youtube channels. I simply wonder if the effect either jumped species, to white liberals, or whether there is a wider mental disease/dysfunction that is the basis for both. I do find it of note that there appears to be a societal decline in the cognitive function. See Sovereign Citizens, for example.
That’s unfair, Floyd…
How so???
Speaking of jokes and Clinton, did you hear the one about The Steele Dossier?
Professor Turley, I would not even mention Keith Olbermann. He went off both the deep end and the rails long ago.
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