by Nigerian News24 Correspondents
Former U.S. President Barack Obama has criticized the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live after the late-night host made controversial remarks about slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
In a post on X Thursday, Obama described the move as a “dangerous attack on free speech” allegedly driven by President Donald Trump’s administration.
“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.
“This is precisely the kind of government coercion that the First Amendment was designed to prevent — and media companies need to start standing up rather than capitulating to it.”
His comments came after ABC, owned by Walt Disney, announced on Wednesday that Kimmel’s show had been suspended indefinitely. The decision followed threats of a federal investigation over Kimmel’s on-air remarks about Kirk, a Trump ally who was fatally shot on September 10 during a student debate at a Utah university.
On Monday’s broadcast, Kimmel accused Kirk’s supporters of exploiting the activist’s death to “score political points.” At least one ABC affiliate had already pulled the program before the network-wide suspension was announced.
The decision has triggered backlash from free speech advocates, who argue that government pressure on media outlets amounts to political censorship.