Disney’s Suspension of Kimmel Highlights Trump’s Expanding Grip on Media

ABC’s abrupt suspension of talk show host Jimmy Kimmel under pressure from the Federal Communications Commission marks the latest example of President Donald Trump’s ability to bend media, entertainment, and digital platforms to his will. The move underscores how Trump uses political pressure to silence critics and punish institutions he perceives as biased against him.

The decision followed Kimmel’s on-air remarks about the killer of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and has rattled the U.S. media and entertainment industries, heightening concerns over free expression. Brendan Carr, the FCC chair appointed by Trump, threatened to revoke broadcast licenses for stations airing what he called “garbage” programming.

Many leading media and tech companies are now either controlled by Trump allies or billionaire executives who backed his inauguration and donated heavily to his political efforts. Oracle, led by Republican donor Larry Ellison, has been part of an investor group working with insiders to secure control of TikTok’s U.S. operations. This week, the Trump administration announced a framework agreement with Beijing that would allow the sale of TikTok’s American assets to move forward.

Companies including CBS, Meta Platforms (META.O), The Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times have also made editorial and operational shifts after Trump’s reelection, paving the way for less confrontational coverage of the president.

“Most of our major media are trending rightward, and I expect that to continue,” said Victor Pickard, a media policy and political economy professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School. “There is no countervailing force.”

The suspension marks the second time since Trump’s reelection that Walt Disney (DIS.N), ABC’s parent company, has acted against on-air remarks. In December, ABC News agreed to pay $15 million to Trump’s presidential library to settle litigation over anchor George Stephanopoulos’s coverage of sexual assault allegations against Trump by writer E. Jean Carroll.

“They’re all scared,” said longtime 60 Minutes correspondent Steve Kroft, pointing to nightly news broadcasts. “What worries me most about this administration is the vindictiveness, the instinct to go after enemies. And clearly, journalists are high on that list.”

Disney declined to comment. White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said Trump supports free speech and an uncensored internet, adding: “Jimmy Kimmel’s trash product isn’t a free speech issue; it’s a talent issue.”