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Posted on 09/20/2025 8:33:56 AM PDT by lightman
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, during an appearance on Meet the Press with Kristen Welker, said the Trump administration is trying to “stifle dissent” following ABC’s decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show.
“Without question, they’re trying to stifle dissent,” Shapiro said after noting that selectively firing people for their viewpoints is “dangerous.”
The indefinite suspension of Kimmel’s show came after his Monday night monologue about the 22-year-old man accused of shooting and killing right-wing activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University.
On Wednesday afternoon, Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr on a conservative podcast threatened to cancel ABC affiliate broadcast licenses, according to CNN.
In response, Nexstar — a broadcast company that airs “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” in about two dozen TV markets across the nation — said it would pull the show, CNN said.
Carr also said Disney could potentially lose its local broadcast licenses, creating a “real, serious threat” for ABC as a whole, a source familiar with the situation told CNN.
When asked about his reaction to Kimmel’s show being canceled, Shapiro first answered with one word.
“Fear,” he said. “Just worry for our country. Our foundational principle in this country, which has roots in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania – William Penn led here in the 1680s – is about freedom of expression, freedom of speech.”
Seeing that right “being undermined by the long arm of the federal government is extremely dangerous,” Shapiro said.
On Thursday, Trump told reporters “97%” of television networks are “against” his administration and suggested those who spew “bad publicity” about him should have their broadcasting licenses revoked.
“And if they’re 97% against, they give me only bad publicity, press,” Trump said while aboard Air Force One. “I mean, they’re getting a license. I would think maybe their license should be taken away.”
Trump later said those decisions would be left to Carr, who Trump described as a “patriot” and “tough guy” who loves his country.
“Again, whether you agree with Jimmy Kimmel or not, whether you found him funny or not, to fire someone because he told a joke about the president repeatedly, and the president didn’t like it, to fire him because he was inartful in his words in the wake of the killing of Charlie Kirk, when you have others in the media — and I mean this as no disrespect — who are inartful every day,” Shapiro said during the NBC interview.
Shapiro also called freedom of speech “the bedrock of our free society.”
“The freedom for someone like you to ask me questions and opine about my work, whether I agree with you or not, whether I like what you report or not. You’ve got the freedom and the right to be able to do that, and that is something that protects all of us, all of us, and it is dangerous what this president is engaged in,” he said.
Shapiro’s comments come during a tense landscape as media organizations face backlash from Trump and his administration.
On Friday, a federal judge threw out Trump’s recently filed $15 billion lawsuit against the New York Times, which accused the outlet and its reporters of disparaging Trump’s reputation as a businessman
Last year, Trump filed lawsuits against ABC and Paramount, the parent company of CBS.
ABC agreed to pay $15 million to a presidential foundation as a settlement over “false and disparaging” comments made by anchor George Stephanopoulos, while Paramount settled for $16 million after Trump accused the company of deceptively editing an interview of then-Vice President Kamala Harris.
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Lighten up, Frances. It’s not like he got shot in the neck.
Trump is not trying to stifle dissent. He’s channeling Kimmel. He’s a liar.
You mean like getting his political opposition banned from social media?
Sharpiro is such a scumbag. He’s working on turning Gruesome Newsom and Sandy “A Margarita and Three Tacos” Cortez into also rans.
When did Trump become CEO of Disney? Isn’t it weird how the Left is all about free speech now? It seems like only a few months ago they were demanding censorship everywhere because “words are violence”.
I heard this is a plan to have no 2028 elections. Or something. As previously noted.....15%(?) in this country have a clue. The rest?.......baaaaa, baaaaaaa, baaaaa. Or funny kitten videos.
“”” Isn’t it weird how the Left is all about free speech now? “””””
Just like they were when Trump got kicked off Facebook, Twitter and everything else. Oh wait, that is different.
Some of these liberals are more upset about Jimmy Kimmel , getting suspended , than they are about charlie kirk, getting killed.
I saw Chuck Schumer on CNN the other day. I’ve seldom seen Chuck so angry. He said, how Jimmy Kimmel is freedom of speech etc.
What these liberals are not understanding, is that while we all have freedom of speech, none of us has a constitutional right to a TV show.
And nobody is talking about how ABC made this decision, in conjunction with ABC affiliates. The liberals instead are saying that Trump did all of this.
I’m trying to understand the reasoning. Jimmy Kimmel said some things that troubled his bosses, and caused problems for his bosses. But somehow it is Trump’s fault that Jimmy Kimmel faced discipline.
Like every other lefty.
What’s stopping Kimmel from spewing his filth in a podcast? That’ll show just how popular he really is.
A self hating Jew if there ever was one
If I SILENTLY pray in front of an abortion killing center I go to jail. Where is my DUE PROCESS or FREE SPEECH RIGHT? AND I WANT AN ABC TV SHOW
Scumbag Shapiro (Demon Rat ) tried to cover up the murder of Ellen Greenberg as a suicide as a favor to the suspect’s family. Shapiro is a shit bag full of maggots.
Does EVERYONE have a right to a broadcast license?
Speaking of Snuffleupagus, has he weighed in on the Kimmel suspension?
Josh has his own murderer to cover for and he’s one of the best the Democrats have left. What a joke.
“Shapiro is a shit bag full of maggots”
LOL. Best characterization of him, so far.
[[Gov. Shapiro: Trump administration trying to ‘stifle dissent’ after Kimmel show pulled]]
HEY NOW!!! WHO gave shapiro permission to speak?
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