The Crackdown Continues: After Kimmel, the Broadcast Press Is Under Siege
Follow-up to yesterday’s post, “The Silencing of Kimmel”
By Dr. John Petrone
Yesterday, I warned that Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension was not an isolated act but part of a larger authoritarian blueprint. Today’s developments confirm it. What looked like one comedian being punished has rapidly unfolded into a systemic assault on free expression and media independence.
From a Joke to a Blueprint
When FCC Chair Brendan Carr publicly threatened broadcasters over Kimmel’s comments, station groups with merger deals on the line immediately jumped into action. Nexstar pulled Kimmel’s show, Sinclair followed, and within hours ABC declared a nationwide “indefinite” suspension.
That’s not corporate decision-making. That’s coordinated coercion.
This isn’t about a single late-night host. It’s about proving that the president can dictate who gets to speak by dangling licenses and merger approvals over the heads of executives.
Trump’s Double Standard on Free Speech
Donald Trump made his second inaugural a celebration of “restoring free speech.” He railed against cancel culture and censorship.
But the reality is stark: when comedians, reporters, or networks criticize him, he cheers their silencing. He sues media companies, pressures mergers, installs political operatives inside newsrooms, and weaponizes federal agencies against dissenting voices.
He doesn’t want free speech. He wants speech that flatters him.
A Crackdown Without Precedent
What’s happening now has no real parallel in modern American history. The Trump administration is using every tool available—lawsuits, regulatory pressure, corporate leverage—to punish critics and bend networks into compliance.
This is Nixon’s dream fully realized, but without Watergate to stop it. It’s Hungary under Orbán, Turkey under Erdoğan, Russia under Putin—different accents, same authoritarian script.
Why It Matters
Late-night comedy isn’t just entertainment. For millions, it’s how politics is processed and how power is mocked. When you strip satire from the culture, you narrow the range of what can safely be said.
The First Amendment prevents direct censorship, but it doesn’t stop a president from coercing corporations into doing the censoring for him. That loophole is now the administration’s weapon of choice.
How We Fight Back
We cannot treat this as a news cycle blip. Here’s what must be done:
Demand Oversight: Congress must hold hearings on FCC intimidation. Silence from elected officials equals complicity.
Support Creators and Unions: Back the WGA, SAG-AFTRA, DGA, and independent artists. Show them the public is behind their resistance.
Pressure Affiliates: Local stations carry the networks. Flood them with calls and letters insisting they defend free expression.
Push for Guardrails: Advocate for laws that explicitly ban using merger approvals and broadcast licenses as political weapons.
Vote with Your Wallet: Cancel advertisers who bow to pressure; support the ones who stand tall.
Document Everything: Save clips, press releases, and statements. Authoritarians count on short memories. Don’t give them that luxury.
Closing Rally
Yesterday, we saw the silencing of Jimmy Kimmel. Today, we see the bigger picture: a White House bent on controlling the nation’s broadcasters through fear and intimidation.
A free country can laugh at its leaders. An authoritarian regime cannot. That’s why they’re trying to kill the laughter.
Our job is simple: don’t let them.
Keep doing what you do. Thank you...❤️🩹💪