Socialist New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is pulling out of a scheduled town hall event on ABC over its decision to suspend alleged comedian Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show.
The network pulled Kimmel’s show after he falsely claimed the individual suspected of fatally shooting Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk on September 10 at Utah Valley University.
During a campaign event, the candidate said, “It is not the government’s job to bully talk show hosts off of the air” or to “tell us what we can and cannot talk about,” according to NBC News.
Mamdani referred to “the responsibility that all of us have in this moment to showcase just how unacceptable these kinds of actions are, how unacceptable it is that we are living in a moment where Donald Trump’s actions are the ones which determine whether or not we can enjoy that which we have taken for granted for so many years.”
He added that, "We cannot be free if we are subservient to those who abuse power for their own ends," taking shots not only at Trump, but his two main competitors in the mayoral election, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Eric Adams.
"We cannot understand this moment of authoritarianism as solely coming from the White House when it is also a moment that is characterized by the cowardice of those in response to it, the cowardice that we have seen typified, whether by the parent company of ABC, or by so-called leaders like Andrew Cuomo and Eric Adams."
Mamdani said he was withdrawing from the town hall event “in response to the corporate leaders who will put their bottom line ahead of their responsibility in upholding the freedom of the press.”
In response to Mamdani's comments, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson emailed NBC News: "It’s not surprising that the Little Communist is too scared to defend his absurd policy positions on live TV.”
Cuomo campaign spokesperson Rich Azzopardi said that "ABC suspending Kimmel was a big mistake, but refusing to talk to local reporters because of the actions of their parent company shouldn’t pass anyone’s smell test and the press shouldn’t continue to give him a pass."
Azzopardi accused Mamdani of "running from reporters" in the months since the June primary, and refusing to answer direct questions on" various campaign positions.
Much of the controversy centers on statements made by FCC commissioner Brendan Carr, who intimated that the agency might consider pulling ABC’s broadcast license if it allows Kimmel to tell lies about Kirk’s assassination on the air.
Yet, critics suggest that Mamdani is using the Kimmel situation to avoid having to answer tough questions.
Zohran Mamdani pulls out of local @ABC town hall over Jimmy Kimmel's suspension. Convenient but a weak excuse for not talking to the people who may be voting for you! 🇺🇸
— mobilemarkhtc (@mobilemarkhtc) September 22, 2025
CC:@CurtisSliwa @NEWSMAX @NewsNation @nypost @nytimes @ABC7NY @FoxNews pic.twitter.com/iU3ZfQaEva
The most recent RealClearPolling average shows Mamdani leading his opponents with 43.8 percent support. Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo comes in second place at 25.2 percent with Republican challenger Curtis Sliwa holding third place at 14.4 percent. Current Mayor Eric Adams is in last with 8.8 percent support.
ABC on Monday announced that Kimmel’s show would be returning on Tuesday evening after they reached an agreement with the host.
Editor’s Note: Zohran Mamdani is an avowed Democratic Socialist and has a real chance to become the next mayor of New York City.
Help us continue to report on his radical communist views and expose the Democrats who support him. Join Townhall VIP and use promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your VIP membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member