Kimmel’s suspension prompts free-speech Republicans to reconsider their boundaries

[Gatsby]

“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,” Lummis added.

Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., said he’d “suppose” Carr could have kept quiet and let pressure build naturally but had no problem with the chair’s comments.

“I didn’t think it was that scary. I think Jimmy Kimmel made it pretty easy for the company,” said Cramer, who often says he’s not easily offended. Carr’s comments, he argued, “were so veiled.”

Kimmel’s suspension prompts free-speech Republicans to reconsider their boundaries

One Republican said she no longer considers the First Amendment to “be sort of the ultimate right,” as she would “in normal circumstances.”

www.semafor.com

Many of the same Republicans who, last week, were (rightly) declaring that people shouldn't be murdered for their political views are perfectly happy, this week, to have people fired for their political views.

And many of the same leftists who, last week, were celebrating or excusing Charlie Kirk's murder because they didn't like the things he said are, this week, shrieking about Jimmy Kimmel being fired for his own rather tame comments.

It's lonely to actually support freedom of speech, instead of wielding it as a tactical weapon against The Bad Tribe. There are a handful of principled free speech advocates in our government and media and on this forum, but unfortunately they are the minority.

 

[Loulit01]

Many of the same Republicans who, last week, were (rightly) declaring that people shouldn't be murdered for their political views are perfectly happy, this week, to have people fired for their political views.

And many of the same leftists who, last week, were celebrating or excusing Charlie Kirk's murder because they didn't like the things he said are, this week, shrieking about Jimmy Kimmel being fired.

I've yet to see anyone celebrate Kirk's murder other than some weirdo teenagers on Youtube.

It's lonely to actually support freedom of speech, instead of wielding it as a tactical weapon against The Bad Tribe. There are a handful of principled free speech advocates in our government and media and on this forum, but unfortunately they are the minority.

 

[Gatsby]

Gross.


Gross.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Many of the same Republicans who, last week, were (rightly) declaring that people shouldn't be murdered for their political views are perfectly happy, this week, to have people fired for their political views.

And many of the same leftists who, last week, were celebrating or excusing Charlie Kirk's murder because they didn't like the things he said are, this week, shrieking about Jimmy Kimmel being fired.

It's lonely to actually support freedom of speech, instead of wielding it as a tactical weapon against The Bad Tribe. There are a handful of principled free speech advocates in our government and media and on this forum, but unfortunately they are the minority.

That would be bad if that happened.
But that is not what happened is it?

 

[Gatsby]

That would be bad if that happened.
But that is not what happened is it?

I assume you are going to tell us what happened instead of just leaving cryptic drive-by turds in the thread.

 

[NuffSaid]

Many of the same Republicans who, last week, were (rightly) declaring that people shouldn't be murdered for their political views are perfectly happy, this week, to have people fired for their political views.

And many of the same leftists who, last week, were celebrating or excusing Charlie Kirk's murder because they didn't like the things he said are, this week, shrieking about Jimmy Kimmel being fired for his own rather tame comments.

It's lonely to actually support freedom of speech, instead of wielding it as a tactical weapon against The Bad Tribe. There are a handful of principled free speech advocates in our government and media and on this forum, but unfortunately they are the minority.

Tough shit. They all side with Trump when convenient. They won’t do anything except say a few words.

 

[SNOWFLAKE]

 

[Allan]

I've yet to see anyone celebrate Kirk's murder other a some weirdo teenagers on Youtube.

And one now banned forum member.

 

[Allan]

Gross.


Gross.

Hate speech is protected by the 1st Amendment Mrs. Attorney General.

 

[Loulit01]

Can you say Project 2025? I knew that you could.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

I assume you are going to tell us what happened instead of just leaving cryptic drive-by turds in the thread.

The government/Trump had nothing to do with it, but your left media just wants you to think that - and the kool-Aid drinkers are always glad to swallow whatever they are given.
Two companies, Nexstar and Sinclair owning 100s of stations across the south and midwest mostly - decided to no longer buy Kimmel's show after his brainless and weird Charlie Kirk tirade last weekend.
Disney, parent company of ABC panicked. The show was already losing $millions, and the threat of losing 100s of stations in the heart of America was not a risk they wanted to take.
SO - they killed the show. They had little choice.
It isn't censorship at all. Companies have a right to choose what they broadcast.
Do you suggest they should not have that right?

 

[Loulit01]

Hate speech is protected by the 1st Amendment Mrs. Attorney General.

Charlie Kirk said so.

She had to walk that back, BTW.

https://www.axios.com/2025/09/16/bondi-clarifies-hate-speech-not-prosecute

 

[Maccabee]

I've yet to see anyone celebrate Kirk's murder other than some weirdo teenagers on Youtube.

It's not a good look to deny the fact that there's at least a loud minority of people on the left are celebrating. The broader point should be whether or not you agree with those people, have mixed feelings, or have a righteous anger towards those celebrating.

 

[Gatsby]

The government/Trump had nothing to do with it, but your left media just wants you to think that - and the kool-Aid drinkers are always glad to swallow whatever they are given.
Two companies, Nexstar and Sinclair owning 100s of stations across the south and midwest mostly - decided to no longer buy Kimmel's show after his brainless and weird Charlie Kirk tirade last weekend.
Disney, parent company of ABC panicked. The show was already losing $millions, and the threat of losing 100s of stations in the heart of America was not a risk they wanted to take.
SO - they killed the show. They had little choice.
It isn't censorship at all. Companies have a right to choose what they broadcast.
Do you suggest they should not have that right?

I am suggesting that:
1. To the extent that government officials are weighing in on Jimmy Kimmel's comments, that's grossly inappropriate and disgusting.
2. To the extent that the private sector canceled his show because of his comments, that's only slightly less inappropriate.
3. His "brainless and weird Charlie Kirk tirade" did not celebrate assassinations or even say anything negative about Charlie Kirk. It just blamed the shooting on Republicans. Which, to be clear, is wrong and stupid, but comedians should be able to be wrong and stupid.
4. A person whose avatar is...yours...is hardly a principled advocate of free speech.

 

[NatMorton]

I think Disney has every right to fire someone who's using a Disney entertainment platform to spread left-wing propaganda, but that the FCC has any role encouraging it makes this entirely wrong.

I often get flak on this site for advocating for a smaller regulatory state. "What's wrong with regulation?" our friends on the left keep asking? This is what's wrong. Excessive levels of regulation grant power to the Executive Branch over regulated entities, and that power is easily abused. If it's not Trump's crew pressuring an FCC-regulated entity to silence criticism of MAGA its Team Biden applying similar pressure to media companies to censor speech not in line with the administration's COVID orthodoxy.

This needs to stop.

 

[ncguy]

It's not a good look to deny the fact that there's at least a loud minority of people on the left are celebrating. The broader point should be whether or not you agree with those people, have mixed feelings, or have a righteous anger towards those celebrating.

"at least a loud minority"...meaninglessly vague. 1%? 49%? If its 1% then referencing them at all as if they matter is silly. There are always crazies and absurd people on every issue.
as far as being "loud", well, not sure what that means? scattered you tube videos?

 

[Gatsby]

I've yet to see anyone celebrate Kirk's murder other than some weirdo teenagers on Youtube.

And one now banned forum member.

There are a few others on this forum, but I don't really want to quote their posts again because I'd rather not interact with them if I don't have to.

 

[Loulit01]

It's not a good look to deny the fact that there's at least a loud minority of people on the left are celebrating.

What you see as celebrating, many see as protesting the martyrdom of a truly bad man.

The broader point should be whether or not you agree with those people, have mixed feelings, or have a righteous anger towards those celebrating.

Much of what was called celebrating was simply quoting Mr. Kirk word for word.

"Hate speech does not exist legally in America. There's ugly speech. There's gross speech. There's evil speech. And ALL of it is protected by the First Amendment."

"As government imposes the will of a few upon the many, the many begin to resist. Ultimately, it becomes necessary for the government to use force to make the people conform."

"For anyone who can only handle about 12-minutes-per-day of anything news related before needing to retreat into isolation, allow me to recommend spending those 12 minutes listening to the opening monologue of 'The Rush Limbaugh Show.'"

"Having Democrats control both houses of Congress and the White House would be a nightmare."

"Happening all the time in urban America, prowling Blacks go around for fun to go target white people, that’s a fact. It’s happening more and more."

"I think it’s worth it to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the second amendment to protect our other God-given rights. That is a prudent deal. It is rational."

The great replacement strategy, which is well under way every single day in our southern border, is a strategy to replace white rural America with something different.

Plenty more where those came from, i.e., Charlie Kirk.

 

[ScrambledEggs]

Rightwing woke DEI

 

[Maccabee]

"at least a loud minority"...meaninglessly vague. 1%? 49%? If its 1% then referencing them at all as if they matter is silly. There are always crazies and absurd people on every issue.
as far as being "loud", well, not sure what that means? scattered you tube videos?

Which is why I try to give my own take instead of speculating on other people's motives and thought processes. I'm not here to play defense for my team. I'm here to express my opinion with supporting evidence when available.

 

[Napoleon]

What transpired here is that Disney was bombarded by complaints from sponsors/advertisers and ABC affiliates about Jimmy Kimmel’s malicious, pot stirring, flat out lie about Charlie Kirk’s assassin. Disney gave him the opportunity to fix it by apologizing and he refused. Consequently, the affiliates pulled his show indefinitely and will not air it again unless he satisfies their demands.

This has nothing to do with free speech. Under the First Amendment, you are entitled to use your own resources to engage in protected speech without government retaliation. You are not entitled to use someone else’s resources to say whatever you want and broadcast it.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

I am suggesting that:
1. To the extent that government officials are weighing in on Jimmy Kimmel's comments, that's grossly inappropriate and disgusting.
2. To the extent that the private sector canceled his show because of his comments, that's only slightly less inappropriate.
3. His "brainless and weird Charlie Kirk tirade" did not celebrate assassinations or even say anything negative about Charlie Kirk. It just blamed the shooting on Republicans. Which, to be clear, is wrong and stupid, but comedians should be able to be wrong and stupid.
4. A person whose avatar is...yours...is hardly a principled advocate of free speech.

1) No it isn't, Kimmel has been grossly consumed by Trump hate for 5 years now. He use to be one of the better ones. Never -ever was going to be really good, not enough brainpower for that. But all he has done for the last several years is to put a total blackout on ANY conservative guests. He has not had a single conservative voice on his show for the entire 2025. Not one.
2) Bullshit - so, like I thought you would perfer companies not exercise their right to no longer broadcast a show that is nothing but political bashing - 100% one sided. If Kimmel was bashing Biden every single show - you would not have this opinion. PERIOD.
3) It was dumb, and ignored all of the evidence we had.
4) I put up that avatar specifically to annoy people. And it is working apparently - thank you for sharing that.

 

[CaughtInThe]

Republicans and the Libertarians who are really Republicans but lie and say they're Libertarians should grab some history books and read about how Hitler started. How he started.

Then skip to the end and read about what happened to his supporters and their communities.

And then realize that we don't have to go through the entire thing. There doesn't have to be ovens for all of the fascist supporters to eventually be totally ostracized from society. To have a pox on their house.

 

[Gatsby]

What transpired here is that Disney was bombarded by complaints from sponsors/advertisers and ABC affiliates about Jimmy Kimmel’s malicious, pot stirring, flat out lie about Charlie Kirk’s assassin. Disney gave him the opportunity to fix it by apologizing and he refused. Consequently, the affiliates pulled his show indefinitely and will not air it again unless he satisfies their demands. This has nothing to do with free speech. Under the First Amendment, you are entitled to use your own resources to engage in protected speech without government retaliation. You are not entitled to use someone else’s resources to say whatever you want and broadcast it.

There is still a principle of freedom of speech which exists independently of the First Amendment and extends beyond what the government does or doesn't do.

 

[Gatsby]

1) No it isn't, Kimmel has been grossly consumed by Trump hate for 5 years now. He use to be one of the better ones. Never -ever was going to be really good, not enough brainpower for that. But all he has done for the last several years is to put a total blackout on ANY conservative guests. He has not had a single conservative voice on his show for the entire 2025. Not one.

So? I assume his audience mostly consists of midwit GenX leftists who are fine with that.

2) Bullshit - so, like I thought you would perfer companies not exercise their right to no longer broadcast a show that is nothing but political bashing - 100% one sided. If Kimmel was bashing Biden every single show - you would not have this opinion. PERIOD.

Yeah I would. If the Biden Administration tried to cancel, I dunno, Greg Gutfeld that would be grossly inappropriate.

3) It was dumb, and ignored all of the evidence we had.

Again...so what? Comedians engaging in totally bog-standard partisan hackery should be allowed.