Trump threatens to revoke licenses of TV networks that give him bad press
Americas
US President Donald Trump complained about receiving bad publicity from TV networks and threatened to remove their licenses, fuelling a national debate on free speech that reached new heights when talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel was suspended for his comments on the right using Charlie Kirk’s death to score political points.
Issued on: 19/09/2025 - 07:55
By: FRANCE 24
US President Donald Trump on Thursday celebrated the suspension of talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel from the airwaves and said TV broadcasters should lose their licenses over negative coverage of his administration, adding fuel to a national debate over free speech.
Kimmel has been embroiled in the effort by Trump and his supporters to punish critics of assassinated right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, who was shot while speaking at a Utah university on September 10. Since then, allies of Trump and Kirk have warned Americans to properly mourn the divisive figure or face the consequences.
The Walt Disney-owned broadcaster ABC said Wednesday it was yanking the late-night comedy show “Jimmy Kimmel Live” indefinitely following conservative uproar over his Monday monologue. Writers, performers, former US president Barack Obama and others condemned Kimmel’s suspension, calling it capitulation to unconstitutional government pressure.
About 150 demonstrators gathered on Thursday outside the Hollywood studio where “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” is recorded to protest the show’s suspension. Some raised signs saying, “Don’t Bend a Knee to Trump,” “Resist fascism,” “Douse the mouse” and “Cancel Disney+”.
On late-night television, Stephen Colbert kicked off “The Late Show” on CBS with a parody of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” song “Be our guest.” He replaced the chorus with the words with “shut your trap”.
“Jimmy, I stand with you and your staff 100 percent,” Colbert said. CBS said in July it was cancelling Colbert’s show in what it called a business decision but critics saw as a move to please Trump.
On Comedy Central, Jon Stewart was introduced as the “patriotically obedient host” of the “new, government-approved ‘Daily Show.’” He mockingly praised “our great father” Trump.
“The visit to England couldn’t have gone better for our president,” Stewart said of Trump’s state visit. “Finally, a country affording our great leader the respect and deference that any sun god would command.”
france24.com
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