It has been with expected amusement that we sit back today and watch the mewling and the gnashing of teeth from many media figures over the Jimmy Kimmel suspension by ABC. It is all hysterics, steeped in hypocrisy, and rooted entirely in partisan reactionary emotions. If Trump can in any way be impugned on a matter, then loud opposition arrives by rote, and the Kimmel melodrama fits that script perfectly.

There is a very simple way to see just how vacant all of their howling is today: By showing them applauding prior examples of “censorship.” (Their definition.) 

We can start with possibly the most egregious example, that being CNN’s self-styled media guru, Brian Stelter. What makes him sink to the bottom of this catch bucket is that, in his position as a media monitor, he should be especially attuned to what censorship is. Yet not only is he off base in Kimmel’s instance, but we also see him previously campaigning FOR censorship.

It was a few years ago, in his original incarnation at the network, before he returned as a pariah last fall, when he was openly pushing to have not a media figure muzzled, but an entire network silenced. The man who openly despises Fox News was campaigning to have cable systems drop the network from their channel packages.

Brian, your concern about this is completely hilarious, given you have long championed to have silenced those delivering misinformation.
You lobbied to have an entire news network stripped from cable providers.

Kimmel delivered misinformation – you should be applauding. pic.twitter.com/E3WxJZiH9s

— Brad Slager: CNN+ Lifetime Subscriber (@MartiniShark) September 18, 2025

On the subject of Fox News, some time ago, the network fired Tucker Carlson for – get this — his on-air commentary. Do you recall all of the media rising up to complain about this free speech violation? Yeah, neither do we. We do, however, recall quite a bit of cheering from the collective press. Chris Hayes, for one, is a voice decrying Kimmel being hit with the MUTE button, yet when Tucker was bounced, he was lecturing on how comments made on the air have these repercussions.

MSNBC’s Chris Hayes on Kimmel getting fired: This renders the First Amendment meaningless.

Chris Hayes on Tucker getting fired: He believed he could say anything no matter how disgusting and get away with it. Over time, that’s not going to work out well for you. pic.twitter.com/KOdROGvseE

— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) September 18, 2025