Today, Explained — “Silencing Kimmel”

Aired: September 19, 2025
Host(s): Sean Rameswaram, Noel King
Guests: Margaret Hartman (Senior Editor, Intelligencer), Lilly Loofborough (TV critic, Washington Post)

Episode Overview

This episode unpacks the recent suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show by ABC, tracing its roots from Kimmel’s evolution into a vocal critic of Trump-era politics to alleged government and industry moves to suppress dissent on air. The conversation explores the interplay between political pressure, the FCC’s unprecedented involvement under Chair Brendan Carr, and the changing economic and cultural relevance of late-night TV. The hosts, joined by media and television experts, ask: Is this a free speech crisis, a business play, or both?

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Jimmy Kimmel’s Journey: From “The Man Show” to Political Critic

• Margaret Hartman reflects on Kimmel’s beginnings:

  • Started as co-host of Comedy Central's “The Man Show” (early 2000s), known for a “men vs. feminism” angle and “girls on trampolines” as a notorious closing gag.
  • (03:11) “The famous ending to the show was girls jumping on trampolines because of course, this is what all men really want to see.” — Margaret Hartman

• Transformation to political commentator:

  • Kimmel became more politically engaged during Trump’s presidency, especially visible during a passionate 2017 monologue about his son’s heart condition and the GOP’s attempts to repeal Obamacare.
  • (04:24) “If your baby is going to die and it doesn’t have to, it shouldn’t matter how much money you make. I think that’s something that, whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat or something else. We all agree on that, right? I mean, we do.” — Jimmy Kimmel (quoted by Margaret, 04:24)
  • Kimmel's emotional appeals contributed to stalling GOP efforts on health care— “It was such a viral moment … an unusual sight for a late night host.” (04:41)

• Kimmel’s post-Trump-firing criticism:

  • Became a consistent, high-profile critic of Trump, both in monologues on show and at events like the 2024 Oscars, where he read a negative Truth Social review from Trump live, leading Hollywood to laugh at the former president (07:27).

2. Trump’s Retaliation & the Pattern of Political Pressure

• Revealed attempts to silence Kimmel:

  • Rolling Stone (2023) reported Trump pressured Disney/ABC execs to "censor Kimmel" in 2018, referencing “dishonest things” Kimmel had said.
  • Trump also targeted other hosts (SNL, Fallon, Colbert) but “no one as consistently or angrily as Jimmy Kimmel” (09:35).

• Anticipation and realization of ‘the purge’:

  • Trump repeatedly predicted on Truth Social (“Jimmy Kimmel is next to go in the untalented late night sweepstakes.” — Trump, 09:16). He apparently took credit for hosts being "gone” and wished to see others fall: “Oh, you delicate, chubby little teacup, did we hurt your feelings?” (Trump, 09:44)

3. The Incident: What Led to Kimmel’s Suspension?

• The spark:

  • Kimmel made comments linking the assassin of Charlie Kirk to MAGA ideology. Conservative critics, including FCC Chair Brendan Carr on Benny Johnson’s show, denounced Kimmel, demanding "remedies." (11:30)
  • Quote (Kimmel): "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." (11:37)

• Network reaction:

  • Major broadcasting groups, Nexstar and Sinclair, refused to air his show, replacing it with tributes to Kirk.
  • Trump inaccurately claimed Kimmel was “fired” or “cancelled”; in reality, Kimmel was suspended, and as of Friday morning he had not commented (11:14).

• Was this justified?

  • Hartman: “It’s definitely not the most extreme thing anyone has said after this tragedy,” highlighting that the reaction may not align with the actual content of Kimmel’s remarks (11:30).

4. The Shift in Power: Why Does Trump Still Care About Late Night?

• Cultural legacy:
  • Hartman suggests Trump’s animus is partly generational: “When he was coming up … late night was huge. […] In Trump's mind, these guys maybe have a bit more cultural power than they actually do.” (12:25)
  • With younger audiences disengaged, clips circulate more on TikTok/YouTube.

5. The FCC’s Role & The Business of Punishing Dissent

• Lilly Loofborough explains FCC Chair Brendan Carr’s evolving narrative:

  • First, Carr called Kimmel's comments “some of the sickest conduct possible” and suggested “we can do this the easy way or the hard way,” effectively pressuring companies to self-censor or face regulatory scrutiny (17:04–17:41).
  • Then, Carr pivots:
    • Criticizes late night for “being court clerics and enforcing a very narrow political ideology.” (18:21)
    • Later frames Kimmel’s suspension as the consequence of “the free market” and declining profitability in late night.

• Nexstar and Sinclair’s motives:

  • Both broadcasting giants are seeking FCC approval for massive expansion deals; specifically, Nexstar wants a $6.2 billion merger with Tegna, which requires a rule change to allow one company to reach up to 80% of US homes (currently capped at 39%) (19:23).
  • Pulling Kimmel off the air seemingly curries favor with Carr, who has discretion over both merger approval and rule changes.

6. The Broader Implications: Free Speech, Government Power & Media Consolidation

• Open collusion?

  • Trump explicitly links FCC action to punitive measures against TV networks:
    • “I would think maybe their license should be taken away. […] It will be up to Brent, to Carr. I think Brendan Carr is outstanding. He's a patriot, he loves our country, and he's a tough guy.” (Trump, 23:31)
  • Loofborough: "That gets rid of any plausible deniability that there was not basically collusion and coordination happening between them." (23:51)

• Chilling effect:

  • “They are normalizing an environment in which you need to punish the president's critics [...] The naked corruption of that is deeply disconcerting.” (25:07)
  • The stakes reach beyond late night: If Nexstar’s reach expands to 80% of households and networks limit content to appease regulators, “that's beyond worrying... it’s a very dire moment.” (25:07–26:35)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Margaret Hartman on Kimmel’s transformation:
  “Did you ever think, man, that guy one day is gonna be the leader of the resistance?”
  “No, absolutely not.” (03:17-03:22)

• Kimmel on health care:
  "If your baby is going to die and it doesn't have to, it shouldn't matter how much money you make...We all agree on that, right? I mean, we do." (04:24, as recounted by Hartman)

• Trump (on Truth Social, re: Kimmel):
  “Jimmy Kimmel is next to go in the untalented late night sweepstakes, which is alarming because I don’t know if you know this. Jimmy Kimmel is me.” (09:16)

• Brendan Carr (FCC), pressure tactics:
  “We can do this the easy way or the hard way…there’s going to be additional work for the FCC.” (17:41)

• Lilly Loofborough (on the FCC’s shift):
  “There is a kind of timeline that you can trace between what Donald Trump posts on Truth Social and the actions that Carr seems to be taking shortly thereafter. He has never made any effort to really protect the agency from charges that it's responding to the President.” (22:27)

• Lilly Loofborough (on danger to free speech):
  “They are normalizing an environment in which you need to punish the president's critics. [...] The naked corruption of that is deeply disconcerting. [...] That's beyond worrying. So it's, you know, it's a very dire moment.” (25:07–26:35)

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |-----------|------------------------------------------------------| | 02:22 | Kimmel’s origins— “The Man Show” | | 03:34 | Political awakening during Trump years | | 04:24 | Landmark Obamacare monologue | | 07:27 | Oscars/Truth Social roast; Hollywood laughs at Trump | | 09:16 | Trump: “Jimmy Kimmel is next to go...” (threats) | | 11:14 | The immediate Kimmel suspension incident | | 12:25 | Late night’s changing influence | | 17:04 | FCC Chair Brendan Carr’s initial condemnation | | 18:21 | Carr shifts to media-critique rhetoric | | 19:23 | Nexstar’s merger ambitions explained | | 23:31 | Trump: “Maybe their license should be taken away...” | | 25:07 | Loofborough: Threat to free speech and media freedom | | 26:35 | Loofborough: Dire moment for media consolidation |

Tone & Takeaways

This episode has an urgent, at times incredulous tone, amplifying the seriousness of coordinated political, regulatory, and corporate actions to suppress criticism and independent commentary on national television. The guests—Hartman and Loofborough—speak candidly and critically, warning that beyond any ratings or profit narrative, real threats to free speech and government overreach are emerging. The repeated returns to direct quotes—especially from Trump and Carr—provide memorable and unsettling insight into evolving American media politics.

Summary prepared for listeners who want a thorough, structured, and insightful recap of the “Silencing Kimmel” episode of Today, Explained.