Is This Censorship? Reactions to the Kimmel Suspension

President Trump has heralded the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, which he termed a cancellation, as "great news for America," per the Guardian. Outside of Republican circles, it's widely viewed as an example of how Trump's critics are being censored. The main complaint against Kimmel is that he claimed Charlie Kirk's killer is from the right. The suspected shooter grew up in a conservative household in southern Utah, though his parents say he had adopted leftist ideology, per the AP.

• Kimmel addressed Kirk's killing on Monday and Tuesday's episodes, saying "many in MAGA land are working very hard to capitalize on the murder" and "desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them." He also criticized FBI chief Kash Patel's handling of the investigation.

• The FCC's Trump-appointed chair, Brendan Carr, urged broadcasters to stop airing the show on Wednesday, saying they risked "fines or (license) revocation," per the Guardian. He claimed Kimmel's comments were "truly sick" and suggested he was spreading misinformation, per the AP.
• Nexstar Media then said it would block episodes on its stations, with an official describing Kimmel's comments as "offensive and insensitive."
• Both Nexstar and ABC owner Disney are seeking FCC approval of acquisition deals. Previously, the FCC approved CBS parent company Paramount's merger with Skydance after CBS canceled Stephen Colbert's show. At the time, Trump said, "I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next."
• Minutes after Nexstar's decision, the audience gathered for Wednesday's taping was told the show had been canceled. Comedian Wanda Sykes, a would-be guest, later said Trump "didn't end the Ukraine war or solve Gaza within his first week. But he did end freedom of speech within his first year," per the CBC.

• Actor-comedian Paul Scheer questioned why Kimmel was taken off the air "for his comments about the politicization of an assassination" while Fox & Friends remains a week after co-host Brian Kilmeade suggested "involuntary lethal injection" for the unhoused.
• FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, a Biden appointee, argued the Trump administration is "using the weight of government power to suppress lawful expression" and urges Americans to "stand firm against every attempt to silence dissent, punish satirists and government critics, and erode individual liberty."
• The Writers Guild of America West said it was opposed "to anyone who uses their power and influence to silence the voices of writers, or anyone who speaks in dissent," per the Guardian, while the American Federation of Musicians said the decision to suspend Kimmel's show was "government overreach."
• California Gov. Gavin Newsom said the Republican party "does not believe in free speech. They are censoring you in real time." Illinois Gov. Pritzker called it "an attack on free speech," while Sen. Elizabeth Warren accused media companies of enabling authoritarianism.
• Sinclair Broadcast Group, which owns the most ABC stations of any TV conglomerate, has said it will run a tribute to Kirk during Kimmel's timeslot on Friday.