Pod Save America – "Trump Cancels Kimmel"

Date: September 19, 2025
Hosts: Jon Favreau, Dan Pfeiffer, Tommy Vietor
Guest: Alex Wagner

Overview of the Episode

This episode tackles an unprecedented week in American media and politics: the Trump administration’s apparent use of regulatory power to get Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show pulled from ABC following Kimmel’s on-air comments about the political fallout after conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination. The hosts discuss what happened, the chilling signal it sends to the media, the wider crackdown on dissent and speech, the Biden-Harris dynamic (with Kamala’s new book), and the wider implications for American democracy. The episode brims with urgency, directness, and signature Pod Save America irreverence, as the team—joined by Alex Wagner—breaks down authoritarian overreach, corporate capitulation, and possible paths forward for the opposition.

Key Topics & Discussion Points

1. Alex Wagner Officially Joins Crooked Media

[02:25–04:52]

• Alex Wagner is welcomed as a regular contributor and announces a new (yet-to-be-named) Crooked podcast, focusing on telling human stories at the center of political headlines—"stories from the front line."
• “We got a lot of analysis but we don't have a lot of storytelling about how these policies…play out at the human level.” – Alex Wagner [02:58]

2. Trump’s FCC and the Kimmel Controversy

[04:54–22:14]

• Timeline of Cancellation:
  • Trump pressures networks publicly after CBS cancels Colbert; brags about “winning” against 97% opposition in the press [09:09].
  • Kimmel’s comments about the Kirk assassination are seized upon; FCC Chairman Brendan Carr threatens ABC/Disney affiliates with regulatory retaliation.
  • Nexstar (broadcaster needing FCC merger) pulls Kimmel; Disney/ABC suspends show.
  • Trump and Carr openly congratulate the moves on social media.
• Explicit Government Pressure:
  • “We can do this the easy way or the hard way...” – Brendan Carr [07:31]
  • “Maybe their license should be taken away. It will be up to Brendan Carr.” – Donald Trump [09:09]
• Discussion & Analysis:
  • Panel slams lack of subtlety and normalization of government threats.
  • Chilling effect on news, entertainment, and freedom of speech widely decried.
  • Comparison to Hungary’s media landscape under Viktor Orbán, with warnings of media consolidation and regime-friendly moguls.
  • Hosts stress that this was not a neutral business decision—rather, government censorship via regulatory blackmail.
  • Recognition that “just the threat” is enough for networks to cave.
• Notable Quotes:
  • “Isn't the statement, ‘we can do this the easy way or the hard way,’ what mob Hitmen say right before they take someone out?” – Dan Pfeiffer [09:59]
  • “If [media corporations] are not going to stand up for the First Amendment…who is?” – Tommy Vietor [16:34]
• Industry Response:
  • Conspicuous silence from shows like The View; Hollywood figures begin to mobilize; calls for entertainers and talent to take action [27:04].

3. Broader Trump-Era Attacks on Media & Free Expression

[22:15–48:20]

• Other Media Moves:
  • Trump files $15 billion lawsuit against NYT for "insufficient praise" and endorsement of Kamala Harris; panel ridicules and worries about legal harassment as a tactic [31:18–33:18].
• Digital Power Grabs:
  • TikTok’s transfer—Trump allies Marc Andreessen and Larry Ellison aim for control; fear of MAGA-friendly media control of major social platforms [33:57–37:12].
  • “There is almost nothing more powerful…than control of the TikTok algorithm.” – Tommy Vietor [34:31]
• Nonprofit Crackdown:
  • White House talks RICO charges, removing tax-exempt status for Soros/Open Society and other progressive nonprofits under “anti-terrorism” rhetoric [38:04–44:33].
  • Trump designates Antifa—an ideology, not a group—as terrorist organization; administration floats “foreign malign actor” label to target left funders.
  • Discussion of the real, practical ways the admin can weaponize audits, legal headaches, and the IRS—creating fear in donor and activist circles.
  • “It scares the shit out of everyone else. …Democrats are struggling to raise money, in part because people are afraid of Trump.” – Tommy Vietor [42:42]
• Backlash from the Right:
  • Some MAGA/free speech figures like Tucker Carlson and Brit Hume push back on the overreach, particularly on proposals for "hate speech" laws [45:29–47:39].
  • “There is never a more justified moment for civil disobedience than [hate speech laws], ever.” – Tucker Carlson [46:00]

4. Democrats’ Response, Legislative Theater, and Shutdown Politics

[48:20–55:03]

• Democrats introduce the (unfortunately acronym’d) “NOPE Act” to bar political-targeting of federal power.
• There is skepticism about performative resistance—letters, subpoenas, and legislation unlikely to pass or be heeded.
• New powerlessness for Democrats with no House/Senate control; main levers are protest and calling out corruption in the open.
• Government shutdown debates—whether to withhold votes over free speech violations or healthcare subsidies; “You do need an ask.” [55:03]

5. Anti-Vax Policies and Public Health Rollbacks

[55:33–62:43]

• CDC Upheaval:
  • Fmr. CDC Chief Susan Minarez testifies she was fired for refusing to pre-approve RFK Jr.'s (now in a White House role) anti-vaccine demands [55:53].
• Vaccine Policy Shifts:
  • CDC panel votes to delay MMR vaccine until after age four; likely to rescind universal newborn Hepatitis B vaccination [57:17–57:26].
  • The panel reflects “metastasizing” anti-vaccine culture, most acutely in Texas and certain red states, and worry about a patchwork America where public health is regionalized.
  • Major health insurers and blue-state coalitions counter with their own vaccine recommendations.
• Quote:
  • “These are long-settled questions. There is no…these people are introducing doubt where doubt did not exist.” – Jon Favreau [59:32]

6. Kamala Harris’s Book: Revelations from a Fraught Transition

[69:35–76:00]

• New Book ("107 Days")
  • Excerpt: President Biden calls Harris before her critical 2024 debate against Trump to air personal grievances about “badmouthing” claims—disrupting her focus and exposing their frayed relationship [70:49].
  • “My feelings for him are grounded in warmth and loyalty, but they had become complicated over time with hurt and disappointment.” – Kamala Harris (as quoted by Jon Favreau) [71:53]
• Meta-Lesson:
  • Lack of a clear “conspiracy”—instead, a problem of inertia, groupthink, and bystander effect among the political class and staff: “It was a collective action problem...a lot of people were like, ooh I had a weird interaction with him…but then other people told me, he’s fine…No one else is stepping up. And what do we...?” – Jon Favreau [74:24]
  • Encouragement to “see something, say something,” drawn from the political malaise of the Biden era [75:16].

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Isn't ‘we can do this the easy way or the hard way’ what mob Hitmen say right before they take someone out?”
  — Dan Pfeiffer [09:59]
• “They just go and lie...from Supreme Court justices to cabinet officials.”
  — Dan Pfeiffer [60:13]
• “There is almost nothing more powerful that someone can have in media in the world today than control of the TikTok algorithm.”
  — Tommy Vietor [34:31]
• “If companies are not going to stand up for the First Amendment…who is?”
  — Tommy Vietor [16:34]
• “It scares the shit out of everyone else…Democrats are struggling to raise money for, in part because people are afraid of Trump.”
  — Tommy Vietor [42:42]
• “It was a collective action problem...”
  — Jon Favreau, reflecting on the Biden-Harris White House and political inertia [74:24]
• “See something, say something.”
  — Jon Favreau [75:16]

Important Timestamps

• [02:25] – Alex Wagner joins Crooked, announces new podcast
• [04:54] – Trump/administration influence on Kimmel cancellation begins
• [07:31] – FCC Chairman Carr’s threatening remarks
• [09:09] – Trump explicitly links Kimmel’s firing to political interests
• [13:04] – Nexstar’s business motives and broadcast caps explained
• [22:14] – Broader implications: independent media, chilling effect
• [31:18] – Trump’s NYT lawsuit mocked, implications of media intimidation
• [33:54] – Discussion of TikTok’s new (Trump-friendly) ownership
• [38:04] – Nonprofit crackdown: use of RICO, “foreign malign actors,” Antifa
• [45:29] – Tucker Carlson on hate speech laws
• [55:33] – CDC shakeup, anti-vax policy, immediate health implications
• [69:35] – Kamala Harris’s “107 Days”: bombshell Biden-Harris anecdotes
• [75:16] – Takeaway: the perils of bystanderism and the importance of dissent

Tone and Language

• Direct, irreverent, and indignant—the team balances humor with deep concern about authoritarian drift, political cowardice, and the passivity of America’s power structures.
• Personal anecdotes and sarcasm used to highlight both bureaucratic absurdity and the stakes for real people.

Final Takeaways

• Direct government pressure on media is occurring in the open, threatening the fundamentals of free expression and corporate independence.
• The chilling effect: Even vague threats are enough to cow networks and news outlets; the era of “private companies making their own decisions” is being openly replaced by political intimidation.
• Media and tech consolidation threaten to place most influential pipelines for information in the hands of Trump-allied billionaires.
• Policy overreaches—from vaccines to hate speech—risk immediate, tangible harms to Americans.
• Civic resistance will likely come from independent media, Hollywood talent, and the grassroots rather than institutional opposition.
• Lessons in the opposition: See something, say something—don’t wait for someone else to exercise courage.

This loaded episode urges listeners to recognize attacks on free speech and dissent for what they are, and to mobilize personal (and collective) action rather than place faith in traditional institutions, parties, or leaders.