Politics
‘Autocrat’ Trump blasted for censorship as TV hosts back Kimmel
America’s late-night talk show hosts rallied Thursday to support Jimmy Kimmel after his suspension — and accused President Donald Trump of sliding into authoritarianism.
TV network ABC yanked Kimmel off air after comments about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk that appeared to associate his alleged assassin with the MAGA movement triggered a backlash from Trump allies.
Stephen Colbert — whose own program on CBS was canceled after he criticized the network’s decision to pay Trump millions to settle a lawsuit — used his opening monologue to slam the Trump administration and ABC for “blatant censorship.”
“With an autocrat, you cannot give an inch,” Colbert said. “If ABC thinks that this is going to satisfy the regime, they are woefully naive.”
Colbert was joined by Jon Stewart, host of Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” who mockingly played the role of a grovelling propagandist in a dictatorship.
In front of a fake gold backdrop, a jab at Trump’s redesign of the White House, Stewart informed viewers the episode would be “another fun, hilarious, administration-compliant show.”
His guest was Maria Ressa, author of the book “How To Stand Up To A Dictator: The Fight for Our Future.”
Over at “The Tonight Show” on NBC, Jimmy Fallon called Kimmel “a decent, funny and loving guy” and called for his reinstatement.
Fallon reassured viewers he would not be “censored” and launched into a commentary about Trump’s visit this week to the U.K. — before he was quickly drowned out by a satirical voiceover saying the president was “incredibly handsome” and “restoring our national reputation.”
Disney-owned ABC announced Wednesday it was indefinitely pausing Kimmel’s late-night talk show, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” caving to pressure from Brendan Carr, the Trump-appointed chair of the Federal Communications Commission.
Carr had urged ABC and local broadcasters earlier that day “to take action” against Kimmel, calling the comedian’s comments “truly sick” and warning, “We can do this the easy way or the hard way.”
Top Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, have called for the FCC chair’s resignation.
Asked about the Kimmel decision, Trump told reporters Thursday the talk show host had “said a horrible thing” about Kirk and “had very bad ratings.”
“They should have fired him a long time ago,” he added. “So, you know, you could call that free speech or not.”
Kimmel’s indefinite suspension earned a rebuke from another titan of late-night television: David Letterman.
“It’s ridiculous. 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,” Letterman said at The Atlantic Festival on Thursday. “That’s just not how this works.”
The 78-year-old comedian added he had been in touch with Kimmel, who was “going to be fine.”
Former President Barack Obama also weighed in, writing on X that the Trump administration had taken cancel culture “to a new and dangerous level” and was using the threat of regulatory crackdowns to “muzzle or fire reporters and commentators it doesn’t like.”
Bill Simmons, the godfather of American sports podcasting and a longtime friend of Kimmel, used his show to decry Disney and ABC executives for caving in to government pressure and “censorship.”
“At some point you’ve got to stand for something,” Simmons said.
Seth Meyers on NBC opened his talk show Thursday with a warning of his own: Trump’s administration was “pursuing a crackdown on free speech.”
“And completely unrelated, I just wanted to say that I have always admired and respected Mr. Trump,” he snarked.
Ali Walker contributed to this report.
The president told a band of GOP hard-liners to lift their blockade of House floor business, but some are doubling down in new ways…
Read More
Iran’s ambassador to Mexico praised the country’s national soccer team after its elimination from the FIFA World Cup, while also highlighting the controversial video review decisions that influenced the outcome of the tournament.
In a lengthy statement to Blue Light News, Ambassador Abolfazl Pasandideh argued that Iran battled not only its opponents but also “fatigue, injustice, and hardships that rarely appeared before the cameras,” later criticizing what he called “pseudo-VAR” interventions.
“Perhaps some balls fell just centimeters short of bringing joy to millions of Iranians — centimeters that were not even measured by the linesman’s flag, yet were magnified by ‘pseudo-VAR’ interventions,” Pasandideh wrote. “However, nothing could ever diminish the magnitude of your determination.“
FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
He cast the team’s World Cup run in overtly patriotic terms, comparing the players to legendary Persian heroes including Arash and Rostam and arguing that “true championship lies in loyalty to the flag.”
Addressing the players as the “brave sons of Iran,” Pasandideh said they had demonstrated a willingness to give “the last drop of life for Iran” and predicted the national team would return “stronger, more experienced, and more brilliant” in future international competitions.
Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania has notched a lead in the 2028 World Cup primary, having attended three matches leading into the knockout round — just ahead of Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
In an interview with Blue Light News this week at the FIFA Fan Festival at Fairmount Park’s Lemon Hill, Shapiro reveled in Philadelphia’s host duties — and the World Cup more broadly.
“I’m especially proud to see people from all across the world coming here to Philadelphia and being greeted not just by a governor who’s happy they’re here, but by Philadelphians and Pennsylvanians who are thrilled to see them here,” Shapiro told Blue Light News in an interview. “I think we are better than [President] Donald Trump’s cruel rhetoric. We are better than his cruel policies, and I think we’re seeing that on display here during the World Cup in Philly.”
Here are the potential 2028 presidential hopefuls who have attended a World Cup game so far:
— Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro: 3 matches (Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador; France vs. Iraq; Curaçao vs. Ivory Coast)
— Secretary of State Marco Rubio: 2 matches (U.S. vs. Paraguay; Colombia vs. Portugal)
— California Gov. Gavin Newsom: 1 match (U.S. vs. Paraguay)
— Former Vice President Kamala Harris: 1 match (U.S. vs. Turkey)
— Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: 1 match (U.S. vs. Australia)
— Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis: 1 match (Scotland vs. Brazil)
- Capitol agenda: House GOP agenda gets tenuous Trump lifeline
- Iranian diplomat blasts ‘pseudo-VAR’ interventions after World Cup exit
- Rep. Julia Letlow wins Louisiana GOP Senate primary runoff
- ‘Horrifying’: Pulte’s choice for top spy aide stokes fears of Trump vote tampering
- In Springfield, Ohio, Trump’s rhetoric becomes a grim reality
- Jeffries congratulates NYC democratic socialists on their House primary wins
- Iranian drones attack Bahrain and a ship is struck in the strait after U.S. airstrikes
- World Cup attendance: The potential 2028ers
- ‘Héros canadiens’: Carney cheers Canada’s late win
- AI regulation group is biggest spender on World Cup TV ads
-
Politics1 year agoFormer ‘Squad’ members launching ‘Bowman and Bush’ YouTube show
-
The Dictatorship1 year agoLuigi Mangione acknowledges public support in first official statement since arrest
-
Politics1 year agoFormer Kentucky AG Daniel Cameron launches Senate bid
-
Uncategorized2 years ago
Bob Good to step down as Freedom Caucus chair this week
-
The Josh Fourrier Show2 years agoDOOMSDAY: Trump won, now what?
-
The Dictatorship1 year agoPete Hegseth’s tenure at the Pentagon goes from bad to worse
-
Politics1 year agoBlue Light News’s Editorial Director Ryan Hutchins speaks at Blue Light News’s 2025 Governors Summit
-
The Dictatorship10 months agoMike Johnson sums up the GOP’s arrogant position on military occupation with two words