By indefinitely suspending him, ABC is reminding us that trust in corporate media is dead for a reason
.....but there's something even more sinister afoot we cannot ignore.
By Qasim Rashid, Esq./Substack.com
Sep 18, 2025
At the FCC’s urging, ABC has indefinitely suspended Jimmy Kimmel. His crime? An innocuous commentary mocking Trump for seeming to show no remorse of the murder of Charlie Kirk. ABC previously fired Terry Moran for another innocuous comment. And, they settled a $15M lawsuit with Trump after one of their journalists rightly pointed out that a civil judge ruled Trump committed rape. The total collapse of corporate media is clear, but there’s a far more sinister reality developing that we cannot ignore.
Let’s Address This.
The Recap
Corporate media has utterly failed the American people. A quick review:
ABC fires Jimmy Kimmel for mocking Trump.
CBS fires Stephen Colbert for mocking Trump.
ABC also fires Terry Moran for slamming Stephen Miller.
MSNBC fires Matt Dowd for daring to say “hateful thoughts lead to hateful actions.”
The Trump regime guts the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and is now replacing it with right wing propaganda media
The Washington Post fires Karen Attiah for tweeting literal verbatim quotes from Charlie Kirk—quotes that were racist on their face.
And this is not even a comprehensive list. Meanwhile, FOX champions Brian Kilmeade as he openly calls for Nazi-style executions of America’s ~1M homeless people.
This is not journalism, this is state media in service of fascism. The disgrace is made worse by the fact that FCC Chairman Brendan Carr—who co-authored Project 2025, the MAGA manifesto to dismantle democracy—explicitly threatened ABC by saying “We can do this the easy way or the hard way.” And ABC caved. The cowardice is breathtaking. Carr is telling us his playbook, because he recognizes his own actions as authoritarianism.
See his own tweet from 2023:
Brendan Carr
@BrendanCarrFCC
"Free speech is the counterweight---it is the check on government control.
That is why censorship is the authoritarian's dream."
1:11 pm Dec 30 2023 295.6k Views
And once again in 2024:
Brendan Carr @BrendanCarrFCC Aug. 25 2924
Free speech is the counterweight---it is the check on government control.
That is why censorship is the authoritarian's dream.
After all, there is a straight line from the soap box to the ballot box. You retain freedom at both or neither.
Carr has numerous posts condemning the very action he is enabling now. The Trump regime knows exactly what they are doing—they know they are enacting fascism. Thus, now more than ever, we must invest in independent voices committed to justice and human rights—because corporate media has made it clear they will not.
This Is All Connected.
Ultimately, Jimmy Kimmel will land on his feet. He’s a millionaire and well known. But the hundreds of people who work for him will not. Moreover, do not lose sight of the deeper issue—the global assault on free speech. Is anyone really surprised that a U.S. government that arms Israel to kill over 300 journalists in Gaza, commit genocide, and enable famine—is now censoring journalists and satirists here at home?
You see, it’s all connected.
Corporate media has been cowardly silent while hundreds of journalists were slaughtered in Gaza. Is anyone surprised they’re now caving to Trump in the U.S.? Instead of defending the Fourth Estate, they’ve abandoned it—leaving us vulnerable to tyranny. At that point, they stop being a free press and start being State Media. The choice for us is clear: reject the propaganda, and invest in independent voices committed to justice, truth, and human rights.
How We Fight Back
Stop Funding Corporate Media
One meaningful response is to vote with your wallet. The FCC chairman is alleging that if Kimmel apologizes and makes a “significant contribution” towards Turning Point USA (Kirk’s right wing group), he might get his job back. In the meantime, they are running a one hour special on Charlie Kirk during Kimmel’s time slot. I am hopeful Kimmel stands firm on principle, and does not bend to this shakedown.
Therefore, our action item likewise must be to stop giving Walt Disney a $16/month subscription. Stop giving ESPN another $10/mo, and stop giving Hulu another $8/mo. Stop giving ABC your watch hours. The only thing faceless billionaire corporations understand is money. Cut that out of the equation as best you can, and get your entertainment and information elsewhere.
If you’re watching this fascist regime silence journalists, academics, scientists, satirists, and advocates, please take action and fight back with your voice and your wallet. If you have the ability to share this content, please do.
Conclusion
The issue isn’t just about the indefinite suspension of Jimmy Kimmel. It’s about the fascist narrative coming from this White House. This isn’t just media cowardice—it’s media capture. When the Fourth Estate kneels to autocracy, we no longer have journalism. We have propaganda. And that propaganda is already shaping elections, burying corruption, and normalizing fascism.
So we’re left with a choice: accept this collapse, or build something better.
By Qasim Rashid, Esq./Substack.com
Sep 18, 2025
At the FCC’s urging, ABC has indefinitely suspended Jimmy Kimmel. His crime? An innocuous commentary mocking Trump for seeming to show no remorse of the murder of Charlie Kirk. ABC previously fired Terry Moran for another innocuous comment. And, they settled a $15M lawsuit with Trump after one of their journalists rightly pointed out that a civil judge ruled Trump committed rape. The total collapse of corporate media is clear, but there’s a far more sinister reality developing that we cannot ignore.
Let’s Address This.
The Recap
Corporate media has utterly failed the American people. A quick review:
ABC fires Jimmy Kimmel for mocking Trump.
CBS fires Stephen Colbert for mocking Trump.
ABC also fires Terry Moran for slamming Stephen Miller.
MSNBC fires Matt Dowd for daring to say “hateful thoughts lead to hateful actions.”
The Trump regime guts the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and is now replacing it with right wing propaganda media
The Washington Post fires Karen Attiah for tweeting literal verbatim quotes from Charlie Kirk—quotes that were racist on their face.
And this is not even a comprehensive list. Meanwhile, FOX champions Brian Kilmeade as he openly calls for Nazi-style executions of America’s ~1M homeless people.
This is not journalism, this is state media in service of fascism. The disgrace is made worse by the fact that FCC Chairman Brendan Carr—who co-authored Project 2025, the MAGA manifesto to dismantle democracy—explicitly threatened ABC by saying “We can do this the easy way or the hard way.” And ABC caved. The cowardice is breathtaking. Carr is telling us his playbook, because he recognizes his own actions as authoritarianism.
See his own tweet from 2023:
Brendan Carr
@BrendanCarrFCC
"Free speech is the counterweight---it is the check on government control.
That is why censorship is the authoritarian's dream."
1:11 pm Dec 30 2023 295.6k Views
And once again in 2024:
Brendan Carr @BrendanCarrFCC Aug. 25 2924
Free speech is the counterweight---it is the check on government control.
That is why censorship is the authoritarian's dream.
After all, there is a straight line from the soap box to the ballot box. You retain freedom at both or neither.
Carr has numerous posts condemning the very action he is enabling now. The Trump regime knows exactly what they are doing—they know they are enacting fascism. Thus, now more than ever, we must invest in independent voices committed to justice and human rights—because corporate media has made it clear they will not.
This Is All Connected.
Ultimately, Jimmy Kimmel will land on his feet. He’s a millionaire and well known. But the hundreds of people who work for him will not. Moreover, do not lose sight of the deeper issue—the global assault on free speech. Is anyone really surprised that a U.S. government that arms Israel to kill over 300 journalists in Gaza, commit genocide, and enable famine—is now censoring journalists and satirists here at home?
You see, it’s all connected.
Corporate media has been cowardly silent while hundreds of journalists were slaughtered in Gaza. Is anyone surprised they’re now caving to Trump in the U.S.? Instead of defending the Fourth Estate, they’ve abandoned it—leaving us vulnerable to tyranny. At that point, they stop being a free press and start being State Media. The choice for us is clear: reject the propaganda, and invest in independent voices committed to justice, truth, and human rights.
How We Fight Back
Stop Funding Corporate Media
One meaningful response is to vote with your wallet. The FCC chairman is alleging that if Kimmel apologizes and makes a “significant contribution” towards Turning Point USA (Kirk’s right wing group), he might get his job back. In the meantime, they are running a one hour special on Charlie Kirk during Kimmel’s time slot. I am hopeful Kimmel stands firm on principle, and does not bend to this shakedown.
Therefore, our action item likewise must be to stop giving Walt Disney a $16/month subscription. Stop giving ESPN another $10/mo, and stop giving Hulu another $8/mo. Stop giving ABC your watch hours. The only thing faceless billionaire corporations understand is money. Cut that out of the equation as best you can, and get your entertainment and information elsewhere.
If you’re watching this fascist regime silence journalists, academics, scientists, satirists, and advocates, please take action and fight back with your voice and your wallet. If you have the ability to share this content, please do.
Conclusion
The issue isn’t just about the indefinite suspension of Jimmy Kimmel. It’s about the fascist narrative coming from this White House. This isn’t just media cowardice—it’s media capture. When the Fourth Estate kneels to autocracy, we no longer have journalism. We have propaganda. And that propaganda is already shaping elections, burying corruption, and normalizing fascism.
So we’re left with a choice: accept this collapse, or build something better.
