After Party with Emily Jashinsky

Episode: ABC Pulls the Plug on Kimmel, PLUS Obama’s Divisiveness and Gaslighting, with Batya Ungar-Sargon
Date: September 18, 2025
Podcast Host: Emily Jashinsky
Guest: Batya Ungar-Sargon

Episode Overview

This episode of "After Party" dives into a turbulent week in American media and politics, centering on ABC's abrupt decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel after controversial remarks following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Emily is joined by journalist and NewsNation host Batya Ungar-Sargon to discuss the implications of government and market pressure on media, the ongoing political realignment in American society, the ethics and economics driving mainstream media, President Obama’s comments on divisiveness, and breaking news of an FBI probe into conservative groups (Operation Arctic Frost).

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. ABC's Suspension of Jimmy Kimmel over Charlie Kirk Remarks

• Breaking News (01:07 - 09:13):
  Emily details the timeline and context: ABC suspended Kimmel “indefinitely” following his monologue about the motives behind Kirk’s assassination, which presented misinformation about the killer—a fact already known to be false at the time of taping.

  • Emily notes that, by the time of Kimmel’s taping, official statements confirmed the suspect held “pretty leftist” views, contrary to the “MAGA” angle Kimmel pushed.
  • Quote — Emily:
    “What a disgusting thing to do and what a reckless thing for ABC to do...This is within days of the historic collective national trauma of seeing a 31-year-old activist shot in the throat for speaking on a college campus. This is how Jimmy Kimmel reacted.” (04:14)

• FCC & Political Pressure:
  The show explores FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s public threat to ABC—suggesting regulatory action if Kimmel’s show wasn’t addressed. This context connects to Nextar (a major ABC affiliate group) and its ongoing merger process, possibly incentivizing the removal for business/political reasons.

  • Relevant Moment — Isabel Brown quoting Carr:
    “...We can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to change conduct to take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or, you know, there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.” (08:23, attributed via Emily & Isabel Brown)

• Market Forces vs. Government Pressure (09:13 - 17:37):
  Emily emphasizes both potential government influence and significant "market" reasons (local affiliates dropping Kimmel due to outrage and risk). She compares the precedent of left-wing advertiser boycotts, network discipline, and broader hypocrisy.

  • Quote — Emily:
    “…to act as though [market forces] aren’t also part of the equation is absolutely stupid and just completely missing a big part of the real story.” (15:29)

2. Media Realignment, Economics, and Late-Night Comedy

(with Batya Ungar-Sargon, 17:37 – 29:48)

• Batya’s New Show Announcement:
  Batya is launching “Bacha!” on NewsNation, with Megyn Kelly as her first guest.

  • Notable Quote — Batya:
    “If Megyn Kelly will associate with you, you’re on the map… I do a lot of media. But when you’re on Megan’s show, everyone in your life is like, ‘Oh my God, I saw you on Megan.’” (18:30)

• The Incentives Driving Media (20:36 – 24:58):
  Batya and Emily discuss how mainstream media is now primarily catering to affluent, left-leaning audiences for economic reasons—advertisers want wealthy eyeballs, thus media leans “woke” to serve them.

  • Batya outlines how Democrats have become the party of the wealthy (hedge funds, consulting, tech elites), and media reflects this alignment.
  • Quote — Batya:
    “Advertisers are not interested in the eyeballs of poor people... That’s how you end up with a situation where these so-called late night comics are making only jokes at the expense of conservatives—because they want wealthy viewers.” (22:30)

• Should Government Intervene in Media Standards?
  Batya argues against FCC intervention (even if ABC acted for other reasons):

  • “What I really resent the FCC Chair for is that he turned ABC into the victim… Over and over again [the left] do these reversals of the victim and the perpetrator. They’ve been doing it since Charlie was assassinated.” (23:49 & 25:21)
  • This dynamic grants the left the narrative of being threatened or censored, even in controversies where their conduct was at fault.

• Calls for Institutional Reckoning and Real Market Correction:
  Both Emily and Batya agree the discipline came more from business (Nextar/affiliate) pressure than federal government action.

  • They caution, however, against giving government more power to determine what is “in the public interest,” warning it risks future abuse regardless of which party is in power.

3. Campus & Elite Institutional Response to Charlie Kirk’s Assassination

(29:48 – 43:43)

• Elite Silence vs. Past Outpourings:
  Emily reads from The Federalist about Ivy League schools failing to acknowledge Kirk’s death, contrasting it with the widespread response to George Floyd.

  • Quote — Emily:
    “[Universities] highlighted support for students following George Floyd’s death in 2020… those same… schools are not putting an ounce of that energy… into what happened to Charlie Kirk…” (29:48)

• Obama’s Remarks and Accusations of Gaslighting
  Emily and Batya analyze Obama’s recent comments on “both sides” bearing responsibility for political violence, highlighting what they see as the former president’s sanctimonious tone and mischaracterization:

  • Quote — Batya:
    “He literally could not get through the event without demonizing the other side while pretending that his hands are so clean from this. And I just couldn’t get over it… What you got from every segment of Obama’s talk is: the other side are racists, bad people… And he is like, that is divisive to say it.” (35:36)
  • Obama’s assertion that extremism came only from outside his administration is challenged, pointing to his government’s support for the Title IX “gender identity” directive.

• Demand for Accountability and Honest Dialogue:
  Batya, pressing for a genuine appeal to unity, calls on Democrats to acknowledge the legitimacy of conservative views and accept some blame for the current polarization and dangers of demonization:

  • Quote — Batya:
    “You combine those two things [calling the right fascists, saying speech is violence], and you’re signing death warrants for prominent conservatives. We are taking responsibility for whatever part we played here… The demonization ends here.” (41:31)
  • She challenges: “If I hear that from one person, I will seek unity with them for the rest of my life. But they are unwilling to do it, and it’s very sad. That is, for me, the baseline.” (43:31)

4. Operation Arctic Frost and the FBI's Broad Probe into Conservatives

(48:17 – 64:22)

• Revelations about FBI's "Operation Arctic Frost":
  Emily reviews Senator Grassley and Kash Patel’s release of documents showing the FBI investigated nearly 100 conservative organizations, including Turning Point USA, after the 2020 election under suspicion of “multifaceted conspiracy.”
  • The investigation labeled challenges to the election, alternative electors, and pressure on officials all as parts of the “conspiracy.”
  • Emily draws the parallel with Democrats’ openly coordinated efforts in 2020 (the “cabal” described by Time magazine) to shape media and electoral outcomes, which was regarded as legitimate or even laudable by mainstream outlets.
    • Quote — Emily:
      “Democrats openly had that quote ‘well-funded cabal,’ bragged about it in Time magazine, and then subpoenaed people for questioning the outcome of the election… And again, that’s not to say there aren’t real concerns about what was said in the wake of that and how seriously these pretty thin charges of fraud were treated and hyped up. But they were bundled into a RICO case…” (57:44)
  • Critique that the media and institutions have failed to scrutinize abuses on their own side while punishing right-wing figures in ways that go beyond fairness.

5. The Big Picture: Media Realignment and What Comes Next

(64:22 – 70:19)

• Industry Reckoning:
  Emily summarizes that mainstream media and late-night, especially, face existential business challenges, as extremely partisan products hemorrhage audience and fail to sustain old business models.

  • Satirical highlight — Emily (on Stephen Colbert):
    “Let me tell you, if you watched The Apprentice, you know it was a lot better than whatever Stephen Colbert has been puking into the camera lens over the last few years… He could never compete.” (64:41)

• No Tears for Kimmel:
  While critical of government meddling, Emily makes clear that Kimmel’s suspension is “no tragedy” and reflects wider shifts as the public and business environment no longer tolerate one-sided narrative dominance, nor tasteless attacks in moments of national pain.

• Final Reflection:
  The episode ends with Emily weighing the “process versus direction” of these shifts: is the messiness of firings, government posturing, and media deals worth the outcome of breaking left-liberal dominance?

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (by Timestamp)

• On Kimmel's Monologue:
  “What a disgusting thing to do and what a reckless thing for ABC to do.” — Emily (04:14)

• On Political/Economic Incentives:
  “Advertisers are not interested in the eyeballs of poor people… That’s how you end up with a situation where these so-called late night comics are making only jokes at the expense of conservatives.” — Batya (22:30)

• On FCC Pressure:
  "We can do this the easy way or the hard way… or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.” — Brendan Carr, paraphrased by Isabel Brown (08:23)

• On Obama’s Divisiveness:
  "He literally could not get through the event without demonizing the other side while pretending his hands are so clean..." — Batya (35:36)

• On Demanding Honest Unity:
  "If I hear that from one person, I will seek unity with them for the rest of my life. But they are unwilling to do it..." — Batya (43:31)

• On Operation Arctic Frost:
  “An FBI investigation... scrutinized nearly 100 Republican and GOP-aligned groups or people...” — Emily (50:20)

• Irreverent highlight:
  “Nothing will ever be as good as Celebrity Apprentice. Joan Rivers being ejected from Celebrity Apprentice… Stephen Colbert can’t say that he made TV that good ever.” — Emily (64:41)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:07] — Breaking: ABC Suspends Jimmy Kimmel
• [04:00] — Kimmel’s Monologue Controversy
• [06:55, 08:23] — FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s Statements
• [09:13] — Local Market Forces & Merger Pressure
• [17:37] — Batya Ungar-Sargon on Media, Economics & Her New Show
• [20:36] — Media Realignment and Political Economics
• [24:58] — The Public Interest Standard: Debate Over FCC’s Role
• [29:48] — Ivy League & Elite Institution Silence on Kirk
• [33:24] — Obama’s Gaslighting and Divisiveness
• [39:59] — Batya's Challenge: Accountability From the Left
• [47:52] — Obama on Social Media & Power Structures
• [48:17] — Operation Arctic Frost: FBI Probe Into GOP Groups
• [64:22] — Media Industry Reckoning, Satirical Emmy Talk

Conclusion

This episode delivers a sweeping, insightful, and at times scathing examination of the intersection between media, politics, and cultural power in the wake of a national tragedy. Emily and Batya blend sharp critique with personal and institutional analysis, challenging the purity narratives of both left and right and calling for a reckoning in how Americans understand power, accountability, and the fragility of media institutions. The episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the deep undercurrents shaping public debate in 2025.