"Blatant Censorship": US Comics Slam Trump After Jimmy Kimmel's Suspension

Late-night TV comics criticized President Donald Trump and condemned "blatant censorship" following Jimmy Kimmel's show suspension over his remarks regarding right-wing activist Charlie Kirk's murder.

ABC Network's decision to suspend Kimmel "indefinitely" followed threats from Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman Brendan Carr against the broadcast licenses of ABC affiliates airing his show.

Stephen Colbert, whose Emmy-winning "Late Show" on CBS faces cancellation next year, began his Thursday program declaring "today, we are all Jimmy Kimmel."

"After threats from Trump's FCC Chair, ABC yanked Kimmel off their air indefinitely. That is blatant censorship," Colbert stated in his opening monologue.

"With an autocrat, you cannot give an inch, and if ABC thinks this is going to satisfy the regime, they are woefully naive."

Colbert's show was terminated shortly after he criticized Paramount Global, CBS's parent company, for settling a lawsuit Trump filed regarding an interview with former vice president Kamala Harris.

On Comedy Central, Jon Stewart was introduced as "your patriotically obedient host" of the "all-new government-approved Daily Show."

"Some naysayers may argue that this administration's speech concerns are merely a cynical ploy... to obscure an unprecedented consolidation of power and unitary intimidation," Stewart remarked.

"Some people would say that -- not me though, I think it's great."

Trump, returning from Britain, again criticized evening shows on network television, saying "all they do is hit Trump."

"I mean, they're getting a license. I would think maybe their license should be taken away. It will be up to Brendan Carr," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.

Trump previously urged NBC to remove comedians Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers, calling them "total losers" on his Truth Social platform.

On The Tonight Show, Fallon praised Kimmel as a "decent, funny and loving guy and I hope he comes back."

"A lot of people are worried that... we'll be censored, but I'm going to cover the president's trip to the UK just like I normally would," Fallon told his audience.

A voiceover then played calling Trump "incredibly handsome."

Meyers stated on Thursday that Trump's administration is "pursuing a crackdown on free speech" domestically.

"And completely unrelated, I just want to say... I've always admired and respected Mr Trump," he said.

"If you've ever seen me say anything negative about him, that's just AI."

Late-night veteran David Letterman also defended Kimmel on Thursday, calling ABC's decision "ridiculous."

"You can't go around firing somebody because you're fearful or trying to suck up to an authoritarian criminal administration in the Oval Office," Letterman said at a New York event.