Right here we go!
President Barack Obama is asking out MAGA for not solely flipping their stance on cancel tradition, however placing the burden of the federal government behind it.
On Thursday he wrote on X (Twitter):
“After years of complaining about cancel tradition, the present administration has taken it to a brand new and harmful stage by routinely threatening regulatory motion in opposition to media firms until they muzzle or hearth reporters and commentators it doesn’t like.”
This comes after Donald Trump‘s FCC chairman Brendan Carr pressured ABC to tug Jimmy Kimmel Dwell after Jimmy Kimmel made feedback about the fitting wing response to Charlie Kirk‘s loss of life. Kimmel by no means celebrated or glorified the conservative influencer’s homicide. In truth, he strongly condemned it and despatched honest condolences to the podcaster’s spouse and youngsters. The day of the tragedy, he wrote on Instagram:
For so long as most can bear in mind, social media customers on the fitting have typically mentioned it’s not applicable to carry up politics so quickly after tragedy (“now just isn’t the time for politics”), to not make it a blame recreation, and so forth. As you possibly can see within the tweet above, Jimmy Kimmel was doing all the pieces proper by their requirements. The subsequent day he mentioned on air:
“Like the remainder of the nation we try to wrap our heads across the mindless homicide of well-liked podcaster and conservative activist Charlie Kirk yesterday. His loss of life has amplified our anger, our variations. I’ve seen lots of terribly vile responses to this from each side of political spectrum. Some individuals are cheering this, which is one thing I gained’t ever perceive.”
This week, although, the 57-year-old comic made extra feedback on his late evening present. Commenting on MAGA’s response to the assassination of Kirk, he mentioned Republicans had been spending an excessive amount of time attempting to use it:
“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately attempting to characterize this child who murdered Charlie Kirk as something aside from one in every of them and doing all the pieces they will to attain political factors from it.”
Carr claims Kimmel was partaking in a “concerted effort to attempt to deceive the American individuals” by attempting to “play right into a narrative that this was someway a MAGA- or Republican-motivated individual.” However that accusation has been debated. MeidasTouch host Brett Meiselas argued on X:
“I’ve listened to this clip and browse the transcript a number of instances, together with MAGA’s interpretation of it. And truthfully, their spin simply feels flawed. Kimmel wasn’t saying the shooter was MAGA. What he was stating is that MAGA’s first intuition wasn’t to hunt reality or justice—it was to instantly solid blame and level fingers at everybody else. That’s not an assault, it’s a press release of truth.”
Now that Kimmel has been suspended, Trump says NBC ought to hearth Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers subsequent. Quickly after information broke of ABC submitting to the FCC strain, the previous actuality TV present host wrote on Fact Social:
“That leaves Jimmy and Seth, two whole losers, on Faux Information NBC. Their scores are additionally horrible. Do it NBC!!!”
Now, did he supply any particular cause as to why they need to go? No. Have they made jokes about his presidency earlier than? Like most late evening comedians do about any POTUS, sure.
And so they’re not alone! On Thursday, the FCC talked about trying into The View too, saying:
“I believe it’s worthwhile to have the FCC look into whether or not The View [and others] that you simply nonetheless have qualify as bona fide information applications and due to this fact exempt from the equality alternative regime that Congress has put into place.”
Additionally of be aware this week? Trump telling reporters:
“When you may have a community and you’ve got night exhibits and all they do is hit Trump… They’re licensed. They’re not allowed to try this. I believe perhaps their license must be taken away.”
Yeah. Pay attention for your self:
Trump: “When you may have a community and you’ve got night exhibits and all they do is hit Trump… They’re licensed. They’re not allowed to try this.”
We CANNOT normalize this.
HE IS NOT GOING TO STOP. pic.twitter.com/OTAylLXUYo
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) September 18, 2025
We’ve come a great distance since his inauguration in January. Btw, that is what he mentioned about free speech and authorities censorship again then:
President Trump, Jan 20: “I can even signal an govt order to instantly cease all authorities censorship and produce again free speech to America. By no means once more will the immense energy of the state be weaponized to persecute political opponents.” pic.twitter.com/S990o9Mcsy
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) September 18, 2025
So what do YOU suppose? Do you agree with Obama that it’s hypocritical for the fitting to be so zealous about cancel tradition now after years of being in opposition to it? And that it’s extraordinarily harmful for the federal government to endorse it on the stage this administration is doing? Or do you disagree? And if that’s the case, why? Tell us your ideas within the feedback (beneath)!
[Image via Avalon/Instar/WENN.]
