Late-night giants Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart, and David Letterman collectively raised alarms on Thursday, warning that the nation was veering towards an autocratic state. Their strong reactions came after ABC abruptly suspended Jimmy Kimmel’s popular talk show, reportedly bowing to pressure from the Trump administration.
During a powerful monologue on his daily program, Mr. Colbert emphatically stated, “Tonight we are all Jimmy Kimmel,” and condemned ABC’s decision to “indefinitely” remove Kimmel’s show as “blatant censorship.”
Colbert cautioned, “With an autocrat, you cannot give an inch.” He suggested that if ABC believed this action would appease “the regime,” they were “woefully naive” and clearly hadn’t considered a children’s book titled “If You Give a Mouse a Kimmel.”
(An image shows Stephen Colbert gesturing with his hands while speaking at his Late Show desk, having dedicated his entire episode to the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s show.)
Meanwhile, Jon Stewart’s show kicked off with a public address announcer humorously presenting “the all-new, government-approved Daily Show,” featuring its “patriotically obedient host,” Mr. Stewart.
(Another image depicts Jon Stewart in a gilded set, reflecting the show’s satirical opening as ‘the all-new, government-approved Daily Show.’)
These critiques from Kimmel’s peers concluded a day marked by strong statements from veteran late-night host David Letterman.
Speaking at The Atlantic Festival in Lower Manhattan, Mr. Letterman asserted, “You can’t go around firing somebody because you’re fearful or trying to suck up to an authoritarian, a criminal administration in the Oval Office. That’s just not how this works.”
ABC’s decision to “indefinitely” pull Kimmel’s show, announced Wednesday evening, came after FCC Chairman Brendan Carr criticized Kimmel’s on-air comments regarding the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Carr had implied potential regulatory action against ABC affiliates, stating, “These companies can find ways to change conduct and take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or there’s going to be additional work for the F.C.C. ahead.”
Carr’s remarks echoed sentiments from conservatives who accused Kimmel of misrepresenting the political leanings of Tyler Robinson, the individual charged in Kirk’s assassination. On his Monday broadcast, Kimmel had suggested that Trump’s supporters were “desperately trying” to portray Robinson “as anything other than one of them,” despite Utah officials noting Robinson’s recent apparent shift towards leftist views.
This indefinite suspension ignited outrage among liberals, who promptly accused ABC of censorship and succumbing to political pressure from the Trump administration.
On Thursday, Colbert, Stewart, Letterman, and to some degree, Jimmy Fallon, all joined the chorus of critics.
(An image depicts David Letterman at the Atlantic Festival, reiterating his strong stance against fearful firings and appeasing authoritarian administrations.)
On ‘The Tonight Show,’ Jimmy Fallon expressed confusion, stating, “I don’t know what’s going on. And no one does. But I do know Jimmy Kimmel, and he’s a decent, funny and loving guy and I hope he comes back.” He asserted his resistance to censorship, although his commentary was humorously overlaid with ‘government-approved’ complimentary language.
Mr. Colbert sarcastically critiqued Mr. Carr’s statement on the necessity to challenge programming that supposedly falls short of “community values.”
“Well, you know what my community values are, buster?” Colbert retorted, “Freedom of speech.”
In a notable moment, Colbert revived his iconic ‘Stephen Colbert’ persona – a self-absorbed conservative political commentator from his 10-season hit, ‘The Colbert Report.’
During the opening segment of his show, Mr. Stewart embodied a humble, pro-government sycophant teetering on the brink of a nervous breakdown, extending his satire beyond just the Kimmel controversy.
He mused, “Some naysayers may argue that this administration’s speech concerns are merely a cynical ploy, a thin gruel of a ruse, a smokescreen to obscure an unprecedented consolidation of power and unitary intimidation.”
Stewart dramatically paused, then added, “Some people would say that. Not me though. I think it’s great.”
A Twitter post from The Daily Show shows an obedient Jon Stewart offering a refresher on the rules of free speech (White House-approved) in the wake of Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension.
These expressions of solidarity highlight the strong bond among late-night hosts, a fraternity that has collectively commanded the late-night airwaves for decades.
This mutual support isn’t new. Following the unexpected news that CBS would cancel ‘The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,’ many hosts vocally supported him on their own programs. Ahead of the Emmy Awards, Kimmel even put up a billboard in Los Angeles proclaiming, ‘I’m voting for Stephen’ for best talk show, an award Colbert ultimately won.
However, not every late-night personality shared this sentiment.
On Thursday evening, during his Fox News program, Greg Gutfeld revisited the Kimmel situation, having labeled him a ‘clown’ the previous night.
”While some say it’s an attack on free speech, others believe it’s an excuse to unload Jimmy due to his poor ratings and the cost to keep him on,” he said.
He continued, “But Kimmel is not being censored. He can still tell jokes and malign Charlie and lie about his killer; he just needs to find another place to do it. I hear Gaza is nice this time of year.”
Trish Bendix contributed reporting.