The Real Story Behind Kimmel’s Firing
ABC announced Wednesday that it’s pulling Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show “indefinitely” after he spread false and dangerous claims about Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
On Monday night, Kimmel 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 problem? Kimmel falsely claimed Kirk’s assassin was part of MAGA, even though evidence proved otherwise. This kind of hateful misinformation creates a dangerous environment that may have contributed to the very violence that killed Kirk.
Major TV station groups like Nexstar and Sinclair dropped Kimmel’s show from their ABC affiliates before the network made its nationwide decision. This wasn’t government censorship; this was a business decision by companies that decided they wouldn’t broadcast dangerous lies.
Everyone’s Crying “Free Speech” But Getting It Wrong
Hollywood stars, unions and fans have criticized Disney’s ABC for pulling Kimmel’s show, calling it a violation of free speech. But that’s not what this is about.
The ACLU and other groups are crying “censorship,” but they’re missing the point. ABC didn’t fire Kimmel because the government told them to. They fired him because their own affiliates were dropping the show and they didn’t want to be associated with dangerous lies.
Free speech means you can say whatever you believe. But it doesn’t mean ABC has to give you a platform to spread lies that might get people killed.
The Real Media Cover-Up: Biden’s Decline
Want to talk about media failures? Let’s discuss the real cover-up that lasted four years.
Multiple reports now confirm that President Biden’s inner circle worked to hide his mental decline from voters, with his schedule becoming “much more restricted” and “oriented about making sure that the public and other aides did not see non-functioning Biden.” The Wall Street Journal reported Biden’s team had limited his schedule, personal interactions, media appearances, interviews, and unscripted exchanges to minimize concerns about his age and mental acuity.
Journalist Alex Thompson called out media outlets’ “cover-up” of Biden’s cognitive decline at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, saying the failure to properly address the issue led some people to lose faith in the media. Some White House reporters now acknowledge they “wish they had pushed harder to tell the story” of Biden’s mental state.
For years, the same media that attacks conservatives for “misinformation” ran cover for a president who couldn’t complete sentences. Biden declined to undergo a cognitive exam, saying he had “a cognitive test every single day” in performing his presidential duties. Meanwhile, video evidence of Biden’s “incoherent babbling” was at reporters’ fingertips, but they ignored it.
What’s Coming Next
This free speech confusion isn’t going away. We’ll see more government officials threatening private companies. We’ll see more people fired for their opinions, then claim their constitutional rights were violated.
The real danger is that both sides are weakening the First Amendment. When anyone cheers government pressure on speech—whether it targets liberals or conservatives—everyone loses.
What Conservatives Can Do
First, understand that free speech has limits when it comes to broadcasting lies on public airwaves. The FCC exists partly to prevent dangerous misinformation.
Second, demand accountability from broadcasters. Whether this action came from appropriate regulatory oversight or inappropriate government pressure, the underlying problem was real: Kimmel broadcast false information that could inflame violence.
Third, watch how this plays out. If we find out government officials directly ordered ABC to cancel Kimmel, that could be concerning. But if this was ABC and its affiliates responding to clear violations of broadcast standards, that’s appropriate.
Finally, remember the difference between opinion and lies. You can criticize anyone’s politics all you want. But claiming a group is responsible for an assassination when evidence shows otherwise isn’t protected speech—it’s dangerous misinformation.
The Bottom Line
Jimmy Kimmel spread dangerous misinformation about Charlie Kirk’s assassination, falsely claiming the killer was part of MAGA when evidence showed otherwise. ABC finally did what they should have done years ago—they decided they wouldn’t be part of spreading lies that create the toxic environment where good people get killed.
This isn’t about free speech. It’s about consequences. And frankly, it’s about time.
Meanwhile, in a related note, Attorney General Pam Bondi made her own mistakes this week by suggesting the DOJ would prosecute “hate speech”—which isn’t how the First Amendment works either. But at least she walked back her comments after conservatives called her out. The real issue here is that too many people, on both sides, don’t understand what free speech actually means.
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
