The Tony Kinnett Cast – Ep. 410: Senate Confirms 48 Nominations at Once, National Guard to Combat Antifa, Kimmel Canned (September 19, 2025)

Episode Overview

On this episode of The Tony Kinnett Cast, Tony dives into three major issues dominating the national conversation:

1. The Senate's rapid confirmation of 48 Trump nominations, enabled by a rule change inspired by previous Democratic actions.
2. The Trump Administration's designation of Antifa as a terrorist organization, plus the deployment of the National Guard to cities like Portland.
3. The firing of Jimmy Kimmel following controversial remarks about the assassination of Charlie Kirk—examining the media blowback, claims of FCC intervention, and industry consequences.

Tony is joined by riot reporter Julio Rosas for first-hand analysis on Antifa and The Blaze’s Chris Lesh for insights into broadcast regulation and Kimmel’s ousting. The show’s tone is sharp, wry, and confrontational, with ample mockery of political opponents and mainstream narratives.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Senate Nomination Rule Change and 48-in-1 Confirmations

• Background: Tony draws a historical line from the 2013 “nuclear option” Senate rules change by Democrats (removing the 60-vote confirmation filibuster for judicial and executive branch nominations). He reminds listeners of Mitch McConnell’s warning: “You’ll regret this. And you may regret it a lot sooner than you think.” ([02:37])
• Current Event: Senate Majority Leader John Thune leveraged these precedents to push through 48 Trump nominees in a single vote, bypassing Democratic stalling tactics. ([04:53]) Tony mocks concerns about these appointments, lampooning the melodrama around less consequential posts and specifically mentioning Kimberly Guilfoyle as the new ambassador to Greece ([05:03]).

Notable Quote

“You end up breaking the rules. And now individuals getting moved through... It’s incredible to see the people that are currently in the form of government governing by a republic with rules that are in play.” – Tony Kinnett ([05:03])

2. Antifa Declared a Terrorist Organization and the National Guard Response

• Policy Shift: The Trump administration (with Secretary of State Marco Rubio) officially labels Antifa as a terrorist group. Tony lauds this as long overdue, chronicling the violence attributed to Antifa and personal threats against himself ([06:21]).
• Implications: This designation provides legal grounds for deploying the National Guard against Antifa violence, especially in cities like Portland, where federal buildings have been under siege ([07:42]).
• Media Spin: Tony lampoons left-wing defenses of Antifa (“it’s just an idea!”) and draws analogies to other organizations with misleading names, like the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. He criticizes the major media for ignoring coverage of Antifa violence and praises citizen journalists like Andy Ngo ([08:30]).

Notable Quote

"Just because the North Korean regime has the name the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea does not mean that the people own a free and fair democracy." – Tony Kinnett ([08:21])

3. Jimmy Kimmel Fired Over Controversial Comments on Charlie Kirk’s Death

Event Recap

• Incident: Jimmy Kimmel made statements suggesting the assassin of Charlie Kirk was linked to MAGA, despite verified reports to the contrary. Kimmel also mocked the President's response to Kirk's death ([10:47]).
• Aftermath: ABC and Nexstar pull Kimmel’s show; speculation swirls about FCC pressure influencing the decision, especially in the context of multi-billion dollar media mergers ([12:00]-[13:38]).
• Tony’s Take: Tony is scathing about Kimmel's decline, labeling his comedy mean-spirited and overtly political, and dismissing left-wing defenses that invoke censorship or First Amendment violations.

Notable Moment

“Nothing that Jimmy Kimmel said was satire. He didn’t say satire. Saying ‘that’s how a four year old mourns a goldfish’ is a comparison. That’s not satire.” – Tony Kinnett ([20:04])

On the Pushback

• Tony covers left-wing backlash (Keith Olbermann, Olivia Julianna) and the rallying cries to “Free Jimmy Kimmel,” mocking their minimal effort and perceived hypocrisy ([17:23]).
• Quotes Gavin Newsom’s defense of political satire, but argues Kimmel’s remarks were opinionated attacks, not satire ([19:40]).
• Notes ongoing confusion and conspiracy-mongering regarding the broadcaster/Disney-FCC-media mergers ([24:00]).

Notable Quote

“If you really think that Disney is more concerned than anything about whether or not they can acquire PoobyDube or whatever the latest Fubo Magoo platform is...I–no, I’m sorry.” – Tony Kinnett ([24:45])

4. Special Guest Segment: Julio Rosas on Antifa (Starts ~[30:00])

Antifa as an Organization

• Decentralization: Julio and Tony debunk the notion that Antifa is “just an idea,” describing the structure (local chapters, online organizing, consistent ideology) ([31:00]).
• Tracking Antifa: Rosas explains how journalists and law enforcement can monitor Antifa activities via social media—even though increasingly these groups move to encrypted apps like Signal and Telegram ([33:00]).
• Enforcement: With new terrorism designation, the federal government has more legal authority, but cases take time to build. Some activist behavior (masking identities, avoiding phones, using encrypted communication) complicates enforcement ([37:56]).
• Funding: There are concerns about Antifa’s money trails and organizers, with calls for federal investigation into their finances ([39:00]).

Notable Quotes

“You don’t just stumble upon an Antifa riot and participate, right? I mean, this is years of radicalization.” – Julio Rosas ([40:21])

“If anybody has the ability to find who these people are, it’s the feds... And again, it’s not without cause, right?” – Julio Rosas ([38:41])

5. Analysis of FCC, Censorship Claims, and the Corporate Media Landscape

• Chris Lesh Interview ([54:31])
  • Jimmy Kimmel’s Firing: Lesh insists Kimmel’s ousting was a straightforward business decision, not government censorship. The move followed years of plummeting ratings and advertiser flight, with Kimmel’s leftward tilt out of step with center-right national audiences ([56:16]-[63:28]).
  • FCC’s Role: Clips and direct quotes from FCC chair Brendan Carr confirm the FCC did not pressure ABC or local affiliates to boot Kimmel ([58:59], [59:00]).
  • Industry Trends: Tony and Lesh deride the declining relevance and quality of legacy late-night comedy and forecast more cancellations unless true entertainment returns ([69:03]).

Notable Quotes

“You can have your own opinion about whatever you want, but there are things you have to kind of toe the line on because you have a responsibility...” – Chris Lesh ([57:59])

“The idea that the FCC had put any kind of pressure on that was completely stomped today…” – Chris Lesh ([58:40])

“It was a business decision... The statements they put out don’t mention any pressure by the FCC...” – Chris Lesh ([63:28])

6. Other Key Segments

• Democratic Reactions and “Pearl Clutching”: Tony criticizes left-wing and moderate hand-wringing over Republican hardball tactics, from Antifa crackdowns to House censure attempts against Ilhan Omar ([44:00]). He suggests GOP “moderates” are naive for expecting fair play in return.
• Ilhan Omar and Censures: Tony details failed Republican efforts (due to a small bloc of GOP defectors) to censure Rep. Ilhan Omar after controversial statements, contrasting this with how Democrats rushed to expel George Santos for lesser transgressions ([45:05]).
• FCC “Whataboutism”: Tony ridicules claims that Republicans’ use of FCC power is unprecedented, noting Democratic “weaponization” of agencies under Biden ([47:00]).
• Current Events Briefs: Deportation of a pro-Palestine agitator for visa fraud, and the reaction to police deaths and their coverage by leftist activists ([52:00]).

Memorable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On the Senate Nuclear Option:

  “To my friends on the other side of the aisle, you may regret this, and a lot sooner than you might think.” – Mitch McConnell via Tony ([02:40])

• Tony’s Satire Test:

  “A Modest Proposal...was by Jonathan Swift. It’s an excellent short essay...That’s satire. Well, Jimmy Kimmel said it’s not.” ([20:04])

• On Ilhan Omar Failing Censure:

  “The coffin dancer herself...Instead, now you have GOP representatives Mike Flood...who voted to table the measure.” ([45:30])

• Pearl Clutching Analysis:

  “This pearl clutching, hand wringing, bath salt smelling nonsense, this moralizing from their white horse only ever goes one way.” ([47:00])

• Chris Lesh on the Decline of Kimmel & Colbert:

  “If she [my wife, a top radio host] was doing the kind of numbers those guys were doing, do you think she’d even have a job in radio?” ([64:24])

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------| | Opening & Overview of the Three “Whined About” Topics | 00:00–02:00 | | Senate Rule Change & Mass Confirmation; McConnell’s “Regret This” | 02:00–05:00 | | Antifa Declared a Terror Org; National Guard in Portland | 06:00–09:00 | | Discussion of Media Framing on Antifa | 09:00–10:00 | | Jimmy Kimmel, ABC Decision, and Left/Media Reaction | 10:30–14:00 | | FCC, First Amendment, and Speculation | 13:38–15:00 | | Mockery of Free Jimmy Kimmel Campaigns/Gavin Newsom’s Satire Defense | 17:23–22:00 | | Jake Tapper Disney CEO Theory & Streaming Platform Riff | 23:56–26:00 | | Jasmine Crockett, Yahoo News, & MAGA Accusations | 26:38–28:30 | | Guest Segment: Riot Reporter Julio Rosas on Antifa, Gov Crackdown | 30:05–43:27 | | FCC, Broadcasting Business, and Chris Lesh Interview | 54:31–73:38 |

Tone and Style

Tony’s delivery is acerbic, tongue-in-cheek, and highly combative, openly mocking opponents and delivering sharp asides (“get out the Tony Kenneth was right jar...”, “Pearl clutching, bath salt smelling nonsense”). He is relentless in his skepticism toward Democratic motives and legacy media, favoring first-hand reporting and procedural explanations over “conspiracy theories” about regulatory overreach.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This episode provides a rapid-fire breakdown of major right-leaning talking points on government appointments, security, media integrity, and free speech, with several extended mockeries of perceived liberal hypocrisy and evidence of shifting winds in both government and media practice. The episode is rich in live commentary, up-to-the-minute reactions, and guest expertise, all wrapped in the sarcastic, outraged tone that defines The Tony Kinnett Cast.

Interested listeners can find extended interviews with guests, especially the in-depth FCC segment with Chris Lesh, on the show’s livestream and future uploads.