The fallout from ABC’s suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! has rattled late-night television, but fellow host Seth Meyers used his platform Thursday night to make clear where he stands: firmly in defense of free expression and in support of his friend Jimmy Kimmel.
During Late Night with Seth Meyers, the NBC host addressed the controversy head-on, weaving his trademark satire with a rare moment of sincerity. His message was simple: comedy cannot exist without free speech, and silencing voices under political pressure poses a dangerous precedent for democracy.
A “Closer Look” at the Suspension
Meyers opened his Closer Look segment with a joke, claiming he had “always admired and respected Mr. Trump.” He followed up with a tongue-in-cheek line:
“If you’ve ever seen me say anything negative about him, that’s just AI. I’m told there’s some clips of me on the internet making jokes about it from a few years back. Those are obviously deep fakes.”
The joke landed, but it set the stage for a sharper turn. Later in the segment, Meyers highlighted clips of President Trump promising to protect free speech — before pivoting to Kimmel’s situation.
Meyers on Kimmel: “A Privilege and an Honor”
With the laughter subsiding, Meyers got serious:
“It is a privilege and an honor to call Jimmy Kimmel my friend, in the same way that it’s a privilege and honor to do this show every night. I wake up every day and I count my blessings that I live in a country that at least purports to value freedom of speech, and we’re gonna keep doing our show the way we’ve always done it with enthusiasm and integrity.”
The audience broke into applause as Meyers doubled down:
“This is a pivotal, this is a big moment in our democracy, and we must all stand up for the principles of free expression. There is a reason free speech is in the very first amendment. It stands above all others.”
The Kimmel Controversy
Kimmel was suspended Wednesday after affiliates, led by Nexstar and Sinclair, refused to air his show following a fiery monologue. Kimmel had said:
“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang 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.”
The remarks drew sharp criticism from conservatives and affiliates, who argued the comments were offensive in the wake of Kirk’s assassination.
Then, FCC Chair Brendan Carr escalated matters. On a podcast, he suggested affiliates should push back against Disney (ABC’s parent company), warning of potential “license revocation” if a “pattern of news distortion” emerged. Hours later, ABC announced Kimmel’s show would be “preempted indefinitely.”
According to reporting, Kimmel had planned to use Wednesday’s show to explain his comments and argue they had been taken out of context. He was not planning to apologize.
Trump and the Ratings War
Trump himself celebrated the suspension on Truth Social, using the moment to take shots at the broader late-night landscape:
“Kimmel has ZERO talent, and worse ratings than even Colbert, if that’s possible. That leaves Jimmy and Seth, two total losers, on Fake News NBC. Their ratings are also horrible. Do it NBC!!!”
The former president’s gleeful tone only sharpened the sense that political pressure, rather than purely business considerations, drove the decision.
Hollywood Pushback
Kimmel’s suspension has drawn condemnation from across the entertainment industry.
David Letterman, the late-night legend, warned: “We all see where this is going, correct? It’s managed media. And it’s no good. It’s silly. It’s ridiculous. And you can’t go around firing somebody because you’re fearful or trying to suck up to an authoritarian criminal administration in the Oval Office. That’s just not how this works.”
Other hosts, including Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart, have also rallied to Kimmel’s side, framing the controversy as a freedom-of-speech issue rather than a ratings dispute.
Why Meyers’ Defense Matters
Seth Meyers, often more understated than his late-night peers, carries credibility when he steps outside the jokes. His insistence that he and his staff will continue producing their show “the way we’ve always done it” was a subtle act of defiance — signaling that NBC, for now, is not bowing to similar pressures.
Meyers’ emphasis on free speech also tied into his long-standing criticism of Trump and authoritarian-style politics. By framing Kimmel’s suspension as a “pivotal moment,” Meyers warned audiences that the issue extends beyond one host or one network.
The Bigger Picture
The Kimmel suspension is exposing fault lines across media, politics, and business:
Corporate pressure: Affiliates and advertisers are increasingly wary of polarizing content, even when it’s satire.
Government interference: FCC Chair Carr’s remarks suggest regulators are willing to flex their power in ways critics say chill free speech.
Changing consumption: While live ratings for late-night are down, clips from shows like Kimmel’s and Meyers’ often go viral online, proving their continued cultural impact.
At its heart, the controversy is about whether comedians can still push boundaries without fear of retaliation from politicians, regulators, or corporate bosses.
Conclusion: A Stand for Free Expression
By defending Kimmel, Seth Meyers joined a growing chorus of late-night hosts, political leaders, and entertainers warning that comedy is becoming collateral damage in America’s partisan wars.
Meyers’ message was clear: free speech isn’t optional — it’s foundational. And for now, at least, Late Night will keep swinging.
“We’re gonna keep doing our show the way we’ve always done it,” Meyers told viewers, a line that felt less like reassurance and more like a challenge to those who want him silenced next.
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