By egmasylne
Get Up Mornings with Erica Campbell
https://getuperica.com/
Former President Barack Obama is blasting the Trump administration for what he sees as an alarming misuse of power following the sudden suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live.
In a post on X Thursday, Obama accused the administration of hypocrisy, saying Trump’s team has been quick to weaponize the very “cancel culture” it often rails against. “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. His comments came as Yahoo News reposted a Vox article calling Kimmel’s suspension “Trump’s most brazen attack on free speech yet.”
The controversy stems from Kimmel’s recent on-air remarks about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. On Monday, Kimmel criticized efforts by Trump supporters to distance themselves from the suspect: “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them.” Just two days later, FCC chairman Brendan Carr — appointed under Trump — hinted that networks airing Kimmel’s show could face consequences if they failed to act. “These companies can find ways to change conduct and take action, frankly, on Kimmel or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead,” Carr warned on a podcast.
The fallout was swift. ABC’s affiliate owners Nexstar and Sinclair both pulled Kimmel’s show from their stations, a decision complicated by the fact that both companies are seeking or considering mergers that require FCC approval. Shortly afterward, ABC announced that production of Jimmy Kimmel Live would be put on indefinite pause.
While Obama denounced the move as a direct threat to press freedom, Trump celebrated it as a victory. On Truth Social, he mocked Kimmel’s ratings and called him “ZERO talent,” urging NBC to do the same with Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers. “Great News for America,” Trump wrote, celebrating what he described as ABC “finally having the courage to do what had to be done.”
The suspension has sparked a heated national debate about censorship, government pressure, and the line between regulatory authority and free speech. Obama’s comments underline a central concern: that media companies are being strong-armed into silencing critics, not because of misconduct, but because their words cut against those in power.
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