Beyond the Dome: Talk Show Suspensions Raise Concerns Over Freedom of Speech

By: Katie Dusza, Assistant News Editor

Veteran late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel came under fire for comments he made that related to the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk during his show last week. Kimmel made remarks about the death of Kirk on his Monday, Sept. 15, and Tuesday, Sept. 16 airings of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on ABC. The show was suspended indefinitely Wednesday, Sept. 17 due to said statements; however, it returned to air on Tuesday, Sept. 23. 

Kimmel’s return included a 16-minute monologue where he stated, “it was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man.” Kimmel’s original comments in his Sept. 15 and Sept. 16 shows did not significantly focus on Kirk. They were aimed at Trump and his, in Kimmel’s words, “MAGA gang” and their response to Charlie Kirk’s killing, which took place on Wednesday, Sept. 10. 

The return monologue also included a show of gratitude for his supporters, as well as an emphasis on the importance of defending freedom of speech. This follows the comments of Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman Brendan Carr who referred to Jimmy Kimmel’s words about Kirk’s assassination as “truly sick.”

“We can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to take action on Kimmel or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead,” Carr stated on the Benny Johnson podcast, regarding Disney and ABC. Many, including Kimmel, called out Carr and the Trump Administration, considering his response to the controversy as threatening to the First Amendment. House Democratic leaders warned these actions to be the Trump and Republicans’ attempt to wage a “war on the First Amendment.” 

Since the start of Trump’s second term, Carr has opened investigations regarding several broadcasting networks such as ABC and Walt Disney Co. with concerns of the organizations “promoting invidious forms of DEI discrimination.” Additionally, the Paramount-Skydance merger earlier this year was promoted by Carr in order to bring more balance to CBS after Trump’s legal battle with the CBS program “60 Minutes.” In order to get approval from the FCC for this merger, Paramount offered a $16 million settlement with the president. Late-night talk show host Stephen Colbert criticized said settlement on air, preceding the announcement of the cancellation of his show, “The Late Night Show With Stephen Colbert” in July. The show will end in May of 2026.

According to Paramount, this is due to financial conflicts; however, many suspect that this is due to Colbert’s frequent criticism of President Trump. Part of this suspicion comes from the fact that just before the FCC approved the Paramount-Skydance merger, Paramount hired someone to investigate political bias complaints. Ironically, Kenneth Weinstein, the watchdog hired, is the former head of a conservative think tank who has made multiple donations to conservative causes such as Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign. 

At the time of Colbert’s show’s cancellation announcement, President Trump wrote on his social media platform “Truth Social,” which claims to advocate for free speech, that he “absolutely love[s]” that Colbert was “fired.” Trump then wrote in July, “I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next.”