Jake Tapper Labels Kimmel’s Suspension ‘Most Direct Infringement’ on Free Speech By Government in His Lifetime

CNN’s Jake Tapper claimed that the suspension of late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel was the “most direct infringement” on free speech by the “government” that he’s ever witnessed.

Tapper joined NBC’s Seth Meyers on Monday evening following news that Kimmel’s “indefinite suspension” had been lifted by ABC amid ongoing protests against the comedian from broadcasters.

After Meyers noted that both he and Tapper are “friends” with Kimmel, Tapper raised the alarm on comments from FCC Chair Brendan Carr on Kimmel, accusing broadcasters of simply following Carr’s orders after the official fumed against Kimmel’s comment.

Kimmel was ultimately suspended over comments he made about “MAGA” and Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old now charged with the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

“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,” Kimmel said.

Critics pushed back on Kimmel’s commentary, noting that Utah officials have described Robinson as being “indoctrinated” in far-left “ideology” in the years leading up to Kirk’s murder.

Tapper noted that Nexstar, which owns multiple local affiliates, announced they were preempting Kimmel’s show following Carr’s weighing in on the matter.

“Frankly, when you see stuff like this, I mean look, we can do this the easy way or the hard way,” he said. “These companies can find ways to change conduct and take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”

Kimmel is returning to the airwaves on Tuesday, but Nexstar and Sinclair, which own dozens of affiliates, are both still protesting the show over the comedian’s comments.

Tapper argued:

I thought it was pretty much the most direct infringement by the government on free speech that I’ve seen in my lifetime. Yeah, networks are allowed to cancel shows. It happens all the time. This was the FCC chairman saying, local affiliates, it’s time for you to say you’re not going to air Kimmel anymore. And then Nextstar, which is the largest owner of local affiliates, needs approval from Brendan Carr himself to let this merger go through. “Yes, sir, how high do you want me to jump, sir?” They do it. And it’s just insane. It’s just in insane.

Tapper pushed the point further and tied Kimmel’s suspension to the ending of Stephen Colbert’s late-night show on CBS. Colbert, a Trump critic like Kimmel, saw his show given an ending date amid Paramount’s merger with Skydance.

Tapper jokingly told Meyers their corporate bosses could be pressured next, and they’ll both be out of jobs.

Tapper said:

I don’t know why Disney and Bob Iger ultimately made the right decision and stood for free speech. They didn’t initially, and that would have been the second example, because we all saw what happened with our friend Stephen Colbert and Shari Redstone in Paramount with a different merger and a different pressure point that the government has, and we’ll see what happens when they come for Comcast, and they’ll see what happens when they comes for Warner Bros. Discovery, and maybe you and I will be drawing comic books together.

Watch above via NBC.

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