Free speech was the very first thing America’s founding fathers put in the Bill of Rights. According to a poll by the Cato Institute, 74% of Americans say the right to free speech remains “extremely important to them personally.”
However, this vital right is currently under threat
Donald J. Trump has never been a fan of the media. He has filed several defamation lawsuits against companies such as The New York Times, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, and ABC. Most recently, a Florida judge has dismissed Trump’s lawsuit against The New York Times regarding an article detailing Trump’s alleged fraud while building his fortune. The judge permitted Trump 28 days to refile with an updated complaint.
However, defamation lawsuits are not the only way Trump has tried to silence those he claims have condemned him and his inner circle. Recently, the Federal Communications Committee (FCC) has been using its power to try and control late-night hosts who criticize President Trump.
On July 17, 2025, Stephen Colbert announced that CBS was cancelling The Late Show. Exactly a week after this announcement, the FCC approved Paramount’s–CBS’s parent company–merger with Skydance. Also, the Paramount Global Political Action Committee (PAC) donated close to $15k more to Republican candidates during the 2024 election cycle.
Jimmy Kimmel was also taken off the air for a brief period due to comments regarding the murder of Charlie Kirk. Kimmel is back on ABC, but not everyone will be able to watch.
Nexstar, a company that owns 197 local television stations across America, will not be airing Jimmy Kimmel Live. According to The Wrap, Nexstar is planning to file a $6.2 billion merger by the 30th of September. This merger will need approval from the FCC Additionally, Nexstar’s PAC donated over 10% more to Republican candidates during the 2024 election cycle.
Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers, two other prominent late night show hosts, are safe for now. However, on Sept. 17th Trump posted on Truth Social, “That leaves Jimmy and Seth, two total losers, on Fake News NBC. Their ratings are also horrible. Do it NBC!!!”
Unfortunately for Fallon and Meyers, Comcast’s–NBC’s parent company–PAC donated $130,900 more to Republican candidates in the 2024 election cycle and $219,500 more in the 2020 election cycle.
Even though the FCC and the federal government as a whole wield immense power, the American people have fought back.
Five Hollywood unions including SAG-AFTRA condemned Disney for taking Kimmel off the air. Many more took to various social media platforms to confront the abuse of federal power. Seth Meyers and Jimmy Fallon put their own careers at risk and spoke out using humor on their own late night programs. Due to the remarkable efforts of many Americans, Kimmel was put back on the air less than a week after he was taken off. Showing that power can truly lie with the people and that the first amendment is still alive and well.
