WASHINGTON — Former President Barack Obama is escalating his critique of Donald Trump after ABC pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live amid pressure from the Federal Communications Commission. In a post on X, Obama condemned what he called cancel culture and argued that the current administration has begun to threaten regulatory action against media outlets that do not muzzle reporters and commentators it opposes. 'After years of complaining about cancel culture,' he wrote, '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’s message added a warning that media outlets should resist efforts to curb speech through government pressure, and he called on outlets to stand up to what he described as censorship attempts.
Kimmel’s late-night program drew renewed controversy after he characterized a MAGA supporter as responsible for the killing of Charlie Kirk. The remarks prompted a rapid response from regulators and broadcasters. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr cautioned ABC and Disney to adjust their conduct or face action, and Nexstar, which runs Kimmel on local affiliates, said it would stop broadcasting the show indefinitely. Disney-owned ABC also announced it would discontinue airing Kimmel’s program. The suspension marks more than two decades of Kimmel on ABC, spanning 23 seasons. The timing of the decision put new pressure on the networks as the political conversation intensified around the clash between media figures and political actors. Trump, for his part, celebrated the decision during a press conference in London, saying that Kimmel was fired for having “bad ratings” and adding that the host should have been dismissed long ago for remarks about Kirk. 'Jimmy Kimmel is not a talented person,' Trump said. 'They should've fired him a long time ago.'
Sinclair Broadcast Group, which also runs ABC’s local broadcasts, said it would replace Kimmel’s time slot with a tribute to the deceased conservative activists, a move that drew criticism from observers who argued the shift prioritizes political messaging over programming amid a broader decline in late-night viewership. The network changes come as political rhetoric surrounding violence and media accountability continues to collide, with prosecutors’ statements about the Charlie Kirk shooting intensifying debates over how to cover extremism and political violence in real time.
Police and prosecutors have described the shooter, Tyler Robinson, as acting from a perceived grievance, and investigators noted that Robinson had a transgender partner. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox cited Robinson’s alleged leftist ideology as part of the broader discussion around how political beliefs are framed in public discourse. The case has become a focal point for critics of violence linked to political speech. As networks reassess late-night lineups, industry observers point to a longer-term trend of budgets, ratings, and regulatory risk influencing decisions about hosting talent and show formats.
The developments occur nine months into Trump’s second term and reflect a broader shift in the television landscape, in which several long-running shows have faced abrupt changes as audiences migrate to streaming and digital platforms. In July, CBS announced that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert would be canceled in May 2026 after a decade on the air, a decision that underscores a wider recalibration of late-night programming amid changing viewer habits and political polarization.