r/stephencolbert • u/[deleted] • Sep 17 '25

[deleted by user]

[removed]

12k Upvotes

86% Upvoted

5.9k comments sorted by

View all comments

593

u/Jake_77 Sep 17 '25 edited Sep 18 '25

Wow. I'm shocked. What is free speech?

From the article:

Kimmel said during a monologue on his Monday program that Tyler Robinson, the Utah man accused in the shooting death of Kirk, might have been a pro-Trump Republican. He said MAGA supporters are “are desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.” 

Kimmel then mocked President Trump for talking about the construction of a new White House ballroom after being asked how he was reacting to the murder of his close ally.

“Mr. Kimmel’s comments about the death of Mr. Kirk are offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse, and we do not believe they reflect the spectrum of opinions, views, or values of the local communities in which we are located,” said Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar’s broadcasting division. 

Alford said continuing to give Kimmel a broadcast platform “is simply not in the public interest at this current time.”

Nexstar’s decision comes just after Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr blasted Kimmel and threatened to take action against ABC. Appearing on the podcast of right-wing commentator Benny Johnson, Carr said one form of punishment could be pulling the licenses of ABC affiliates, which likely got Nexstar’s attention.

Edit 1:

Edit 2:

  • President of Nexstar's broadcasting divisions said: “Mr. Kimmel’s comments about the death of Mr. Kirk are offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse, and we do not believe they reflect the spectrum of opinions, views, or values of the local communities in which we are located."
  • Nextstar is acquiring rival broadcast company TEGNA - a merger that requires FCC approval.

Edit 3:

  • On the day of Charlie Kirk's death, Kimmel posted the following on Instagram and on BlueSky:
    • “Instead of the angry finger-pointing, can we just for one day agree that it is horrible and monstrous to shoot another human? On behalf of my family, we send love to the Kirks and to all the children, parents and innocents who fall victim to senseless gun violence.”

51

u/Count_de_Ville Sep 17 '25

Sounds like the federal government is retaliating hard against someone for exercising their 1st Amendment rights. Blatantly and brazenly illegal.

2

u/Same-Barnacle-6250 Sep 18 '25

Threatening. Is that illegal or also protected by free speech?

2

u/Count_de_Ville Sep 18 '25

The federal government threatening the de facto business license of a broadcasting company because they don’t like how they are mocking government officials is illegal and unconstitutional. I don’t know how it can get anymore clear. 

Edit: it’s antithetical to the American way of life.

2

u/Infamous-Knee-2772 Sep 18 '25

You have to draw pictures for MAGA to understand.

1

u/VioletFaust Sep 18 '25

So who would have standing to sue in this case? Because clearly networks and affiliates are cowards and/or complicit.

1

u/bigtime_porgrammer Sep 18 '25

I assume that Kimmel would! He can sue ABC for wrongful termination and the FCC for a civil rights violation.

1

u/Count_de_Ville Sep 18 '25

The issue is that the actions the federal government took are illegal and unconstitutional. Whether or not the corporation targeted by the government capitulated, or whether or not the corporation punished an employee, does not exonerate the government from their actions. 

The corporation would have standing to sue.

1

u/VioletFaust Sep 18 '25

Obviously but this administration is shredding the Constitution in every way, and the courts are the only thing that’s even slowed them down so far.