Jimmy Kimmel’s quip about Melania Trump is protected speech, and Disney must stand tall | Margaret Sullivan
Summary
Jimmy Kimmel made a joke about Melania Trump’s age difference with President Trump on his show. President Trump and Melania criticized the joke, and Trump demanded Kimmel be fired. The FCC, led by a Trump appointee, launched license reviews of ABC stations after the joke, raising concerns about free speech and government pressure on media companies.Key Facts
- Jimmy Kimmel joked about Melania Trump on his late-night show before an alleged assassination attempt on President Trump.
- Melania called the joke hateful, and President Trump called it a call to violence and demanded Kimmel’s firing.
- ABC did not fire Kimmel, recalling a previous incident when public backlash restored his show after a brief suspension.
- Brendan Carr, chair of the FCC and a Trump appointee, ordered early license reviews of eight ABC stations, citing diversity rule compliance.
- Critics say the FCC’s move violates the First Amendment and tries to punish ABC for Kimmel’s joke.
- Disney stated ABC follows FCC rules and will defend itself legally but did not strongly defend the joke itself.
- The situation raises fears media companies may self-censor to avoid government or legal trouble.
- President Trump has a history of suing news organizations over unfavorable coverage or comments.
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