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United States President Donald Trump appears to be relishing in the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel after the late-night comedian\u2019s popular talk show was taken off air over comments he made about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe made a total FOOL of himself,\u201d President Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Thursday evening, reposting a clip from last year\u2019s Academy Awards in which Kimmel spontaneously took aim at the US leader.<\/p>\n
list of 4 items<\/span>end of list<\/span><\/p>\n Earlier in the day, Trump said Kimmel was fired because he said a \u201chorrible thing about a great gentleman known as Charlie Kirk\u201d.<\/p>\n Trump told reporters on his return from visiting the United Kingdom that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) \u2013 which regulates all broadcasts in the US \u2013 should consider removing the licences of broadcasters who \u201chit Trump\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cI would think maybe their licence should be taken away,\u201d Trump said, though federal law prohibits the FCC from revoking a broadcaster\u2019s licence for negative coverage or speech disliked by the government.<\/p>\n \u201cIt will be up to [FCC Chair] Brendan Carr,\u201d Trump added.<\/p>\n The Disney-owned ABC network removed the Jimmy Kimmel Live show from programming indefinitely on Wednesday after an opening monologue by Kimmel in which he said \u201cthe MAGA gang\u201d was trying to \u201cscore political points\u201d from Kirk\u2019s death.<\/p>\n Disney made the move after the FCC\u2019s Carr \u2013 a Trump appointee \u2013 appeared to imply on a right-wing podcast that Kimmel\u2019s remarks had put Disney\u2019s licence in jeopardy.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a very, very serious issue right now for Disney,\u201d Carr said.<\/p>\n \u201cThey have a licence granted by us at the FCC, and that comes with it an obligation to operate in the public interest.\u201d<\/p>\n Brendan Carr, then commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission, testifies in a 2020 US Senate oversight hearing [File: Jonathan Newton\/Reuters]<\/p>\n Kimmel was due to meet with three Disney network executives to discuss the fate of his show, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday.<\/p>\n The comedian is the latest in a growing list of media figures, journalists and news organisations to face Trump\u2019s wrath in the form of lawsuits and personal vendettas.<\/p>\n In July, CBS said The Late Show with Stephen Colbert would go off air in 2026, days after Colbert criticised CBS\u2019s parent company Paramount for a $16m settlement in a case with Trump.<\/p>\n ABC News also agreed to pay $15m over inaccurate on-air comments made by an anchor that Trump had been found \u201cliable for raping\u201d writer E Jean Carroll. Trump had, in fact, been found liable for sexual abuse. More recently, Trump is bringing a multibillion-dollar lawsuit against The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal for their coverage of his relationship with high-flying financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.<\/p>\n In another Truth Social post on Wednesday, Trump seemed to suggest further suspensions of late-night comedians, namely two popular NBC hosts.<\/p>\n \u201cThat leaves Jimmy and Seth, two total losers, on Fake News NBC,\u201d the president said, referring to Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers.<\/p>\n \u201cTheir ratings are also horrible. Do it NBC!!!\u201d<\/p>\n Democratic Party lawmakers are now pushing to pass a new bill, called the No Political Enemies Act, which they in part credited to Kimmel\u2019s suspension.<\/p>\n The bill aims to deter officials from retaliating against free speech and provides tools for those targeted by the government, according to a legislative summary, though it is unlikely to pass the Republican-controlled Congress.<\/p>\n Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has also called for Carr\u2019s resignation from the FCC in a social media post on Thursday, before railing against the Trump administration in a news conference announcing the bill.<\/p>\n \u201cFirst, let\u2019s be very clear: Political violence has no place in America,\u201d Schumer said.<\/p>\n \u201cBut let\u2019s also be clear: The Trump administration campaign of threats against civil society and free speech \u2026 is an assault on everything this country has stood for since the Constitution was signed,\u201d Schumer said.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s an assault on democracy coming out of the White House and their allies, and we see more evidence of it every day,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Brendan Carr should resign immediately, or Trump should fire him. pic.twitter.com\/bow6H1ZsFY<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) September 18, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n