On the evening of Wednesday, September 17, 2025, Disney-owned network ABC announced that it had suspended Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show "indefinitely" --
and for reasons that put our entire democracy at risk.Kimmel -- a comedian and the host of Jimmy Kimmel! Live! -- has used his platform to humorously shed light on political and social topics for years. This is a time-honored tradition among comedians. When discussing right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk's assassination, Kimmel critiqued conservatives who seemed to be trying to "capitalize on [his] murder" to score political points. He also pointed out Trump's bizarrely nonchalant behavior regarding the political violence.
And all that, apparently, was enough to get him cancelled.Kimmel's remarks fall squarely under the First Amendment's protections. The right to openly critique and question one's government is a cornerstone of a democracy.
Silencing critics is a cornerstone of authoritarianism.Sign the petition and demand that ABC bring back Jimmy Kimmel and show that they are truly pro-democracy!Almost immediately after Kimmel's remarks, Trump's Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr called for ABC's local partners to drop Kimmel's show. Broadcasting channels rushed to comply. But
not everyone agreed with this crackdown. The sole Democratic member of the FCC, Anna Gomez, put it best:
"This Administration is increasingly using the weight of government power to suppress lawful expression."Meanwhile, Trump celebrated the move. Emboldened by his terrifying anti-democratic success, he proceeded to demand even more censorship via a Truth Social post, calling for NBC to
cancel Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers, two other late-night hosts and comedians who have been openly critical of Trump and his administration.
The escalation is terribly alarming, and is part of a clear and consistent trend against free speech. Comedian Stephen Colbert's "The Late Show" was cancelled in July, just days after critiquing a $16-million settlement between his broadcasting network's owner, Paramount, and the White House. (Trump had sued Paramount over an interview with Kamala Harris that he claimed was deceptive). Trump is currently suing the New York Times for defamation. Following Charlie Kirk's murder, Attorney General Pam Bondi claimed the administration would be cracking down on certain types of speech -- a direct violation of the First Amendment.
We are seeing the effects of censorship in real time.
The president and his administration want to control what we read, what we watch, and what we listen to -- and they especially want to make sure that nothing we consume is critical of Trump himself. This is a terrifying form of control and utterly anti-democratic.
We need the owners of our news media to stand up to wannabe dictators -- that's why we're asking Disney (owner of ABC) Chief Executive Robert A. Iger & Television Chief Dana Walden to reinstate Jimmy Kimmel on ABC.
Sign the petition to demand an end to this Trump-era censorship!