Former President Barack Obama on Thursday accused the Trump administration of expanding 'cancel culture' to a dangerous level by using regulatory threats to pressure media outlets into silencing journalists and commentators. 'After years of complaining about cancel culture, the current administration has taken it to a new and dangerous level by routinely threatening regulatory action against media companies unless they muzzle or fire reporters and commentators it doesn't like,' Obama wrote on X.
Obama's comments come as Disney confirmed to Fox News Digital that it will indefinitely pull ABC's 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' from the air. Disney said the move followed controversy over Charlie Kirk assassination comments and what it described as misconduct in media coverage. The company did not provide a timetable for returning the program. The show was pulled on Sept. 17, 2025.
Kimmel, a prominent late-night host, condemned what he called a new low in political discourse after conservatives sought to link a 22-year-old suspect to left-wing ideology. In an indictment filed Tuesday, prosecutors — along with FBI officials and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican — said the suspect, Tyler Robinson, embraced a 'leftist ideology' and had grown radicalized in recent years. Investigators noted that three rounds in Robinson's rifle magazine were engraved with the phrase, 'Hey fascist! Catch!'. On Tuesday night, Kimmel addressed the controversy directly, mocking Vice President JD Vance for 'pointing his little mascara-stained finger directly at the left' as the guest host of 'The Charlie Kirk Show.' Vance had argued that most 'lunatics' in U.S. politics belong to the far left. 'And by 'statistical fact,' he means complete bulls---,' Kimmel responded.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee, escalated the regulatory stakes on Wednesday when he said Disney could face FCC action if it didn't address the controversy stemming from Kimmel's remarks. In an interview on Benny Johnson's show, Carr described Kimmel's comments as 'the sickest conduct' and warned there were potential avenues the FCC could pursue. 'Look, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to change conduct, to take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or, you know, there's going to be additional work for the FCC ahead,' Carr said.
Trump and his allies have routinely attacked Kimmel, arguing that the comedian's satire amplifies criticism in a political climate already prone to confrontation. Trump has called Kimmel 'terrible' or 'low-rated' at various points, and has argued that coverage of him drives ratings. The episode underscores a broader debate about cancel culture, regulatory power, and how political actors interact with the media in a polarized era. Observers caution against drawing broad policy conclusions from a single dispute, but many say the exchange highlights how media controversies can become flashpoints for fights over free speech, accountability and the role of regulators in public discourse.