California Governor Gavin Newsom took to X to call ABC's decision to pull Jimmy Kimmel's show off the air indefinitely "spineless" on Wednesday.
Corrupt, despicable, & spineless behavior. A coordinated effort to control the media is happening before our eyes & it needs to be called out.
Corrupt, despicable, & spineless behavior.
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) September 17, 2025
A coordinated effort to control the media is happening before our eyes & it needs to be called out. https://t.co/vfmc0m8QHE
Jimmy Kimmel had his show pulled for his comments about the assassination, arguing that “The MAGA gang (is) 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.”
On Monday, Kimmel accused conservatives of sinking to “new lows” by linking the Charlie Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson to left-wing ideology, despite prosecutors making those claims in Tuesday’s indictment.
On his personal account, Newsom doubled down, saying that Republicans have become the party of censorship. He wrote, "Buying and controlling media platforms. Firing commentators. Canceling shows. These aren’t coincidences. It’s coordinated. And it’s dangerous. The @GOP does not believe in free speech. They are censoring you in real time."
Buying and controlling media platforms.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) September 17, 2025
Firing commentators.
Canceling shows.
These aren’t coincidences.
It’s coordinated. And it’s dangerous.
The @GOP does not believe in free speech.
They are censoring you in real time.
Nexstar's broadcasting chief, Andrew Alford, said in a press release that Kimmel's show was canceled because his remarks were "offensive" and "insensitive," not because of political pressure.
Mr. Kimmel’s comments about the death of Mr. Kirk are offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse, and we do not believe they reflect the spectrum of opinions, views or values of the local communities in which we are located.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr responded to Kimmel’s remarks by warning Disney to take action, calling the comments “some of the sickest conduct” and cautioning that the FCC had potential avenues for intervention if the issue went unaddressed.
Editor's Note: President Trump is leading America into the "Golden Age" as Democrats try desperately to stop it.
Help us continue to report on President Trump's successes. Join Townhall VIP and use promo code FIGHT for 60% off your membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member