When the White House Censors Media, True Defenders of Free Speech Stand Out

When the White House Censors Media, True Defenders of Free Speech Stand Out

Colby Hall Sep 19th, 2025, 1:40 pm

This week, Jimmy Kimmel found himself under pressure from the Trump FCC after his relentless late-night jabs at Trump crossed a line. Reports suggest the White House leaned on ABC to suspend Kimmel’s show — a move that isn’t just about jokes, but about sending a message: some voices are too dangerous to broadcast.

History has seen this play before. In 2009, the Obama White House declared war on Fox News. Communications director Anita Dunn called the network “a wing of the Republican Party,” senior aides piled on, and the Treasury Department even tried to exclude Fox from a pool interview.

The backlash was immediate.

Jake Tapper , then ABC’s White House corresponde