Let’s return to Philippines journalist Maria Ressa’s interview with Jon Stewart on the Daily Show. In the conversation she quotes a Swedish study that says 72% of the world is now under authoritarian rule and says that many people are voting these governments into power.
We are electing illiberal leaders democratically because of insidious manipulation … it starts with the manipulation and corruption of our public information ecosystem.”
When asked what happens next, she points to her own experiences in the Philippines as a journalist during the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte.
We just kept doing our jobs, we kept putting one foot in front of the other.”
The chair of the US media regulator, Brendan Carr, has been doing the media rounds today, after comments he made yesterday were interpreted by some as lighting the fuse that led to Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension from ABC.
In an interview with CNBC, Carr was asked if it was Trump’s view that fellow late night hosts, Seth Myers and Jimmy Fallon should be taken off air. Carr said his goal was to make sure that broadcasters were “serving the public interest”.
We’re in the midst of a massive shift in dynamics in the media ecosystem for lot’s of reasons. Including the permission structure that president Trump’s election has provided. I would simply say we’re not done yet with seeing the consequences of this shift.”
On Wednesday, Carr, the FCC chair who was appointed by Trump, appeared on a rightwing podcast and threatened ABC affiliates’ broadcast licenses if action was not taken against Kimmel.
Maria Ressa has told Jon Stewart “Americans are deer in the head lights,” as she joined him on the Daily Show to discuss the collapse of US institutions and free speech that has accelerated under the Trump administration, particularly in the wake of Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension by ABC.
If you don’t move and protest the rights you have, you lose them. And it’s so much harder to reclaim them.”
She said “there is a “dictator’s playbook”, comparing the Trump administration’s attacks on alleged Venezuelan drug boats to former president Rodrigo Duterte’s brutal crackdown on drug dealing in the Philippines.
Power is consolidated though “fear, anger and hate,” Ressa says. She goes on to say that social media “spreads lies,” saying that the Philippines was a test ground for the dissemination of misinformation through social media.
Maria Ressa, the journalist and author of How to Stand Up to a Dictator, has told Jon Stewart that the speed in which Donald Trump has “collapsed” America’s institutions has happened much faster than she anticipated.
Ressa, who won the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize for her fight for freedom of expression in the Philippines, drew comparisons between the Trump administration and the government of former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte.
She pointed to the targeting of individual justices and attacks on the rule of law. She went on to ask how “rule of law” could exist, without facts, pinning the blame on Silicon Valley tech companies for creating an information environment plagued by misinformation and lies.
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Democratic politician Pete Buttigieg has issued an excoriating statement to business leaders, telling them that if they think kowtowing to demands from the president will get the Trump administration off their back, they are wrong.
You need to understand that this is a one way trip. If you play this game, you will have less room to manoeuvre in the future. They didn’t stop with the law firms, they didn’t stop with the universities and they didn’t stop with the comedians. They’re not going to stop until they have total power.
He goes on to characterise the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel as the president “pressuring a corporation that had business before the government to make sure that he was taken off the air.”
Jimmy Fallon has kicked off The Tonight Show with a monologue reacting to Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension, his efforts somewhat more subdued than Jon Stewart’s own Daily Show.
After calling Kimmel a “decent, funny and loving guy” who he hopes will come back, Fallon goes on to say that he will cover the president’s trip to the UK just like he normally would. His comments on are then interrupted by an off screen voice over, praising Donald Trump.
Jon Stewart’s Daily Show appearance tonight has been a detailed effort to call out the hypocrisy of Trump officials and conservative commentators.
Highlighting recent clips from Donald Trump Jr and House speaker Mike Johnson criticising their political opponents for calling the president and his movement ‘“fascist”, Stewart then goes on to play a series of videos of Trump himself calling Democrats fascists, Joe Biden an “enemy of the state” and Nancy Pelosi an “animal”.
He then plays a clip of former vice-president Mike Pence saying the first amendment does not protect comedians who say crass or insensitive things.
Saying “only a bad person would celebrate violence or make crass jokes about it” Stewart goes on to air clips of Donald Trump, Pete Hegseth and others, all making light of the attack on Nancy Pelosi’s husband at her San Francisco home in 2022.
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Addressing head-on the spectre of censorship looming over US late night talk shows, Jon Stewart has come on air with an over-the-top portrayal of a politically obsequious television host under authoritarian rule.
“Coming to you tonight from … the crime ridden cesspool that is New York City. It is a tremendous disaster like no one’s ever seen before. Someone’s National Guard should invade this place, am I right?” Stewart said.
Stewart fidgeted nervously as though he was worried about speaking the correct talking points. When the audience members reacted with an “awww” he whispered: “What are you doing? Shut up.”
Responding to the repeated statements from Trump supporters that Kimmel was suspended not because he had raised the president’s ire, but because of apparent mis-statements he made about the idealogical leanings of the shooter of Charlie Kirk, Stewart went on to say “people cannot just go on television and mislead viewers with made up crap.”
He then plays a supercut of various clips – mostly from Fox news – of Trump officials and conservative commentators making wildly outrageous claims, that range from “global warming is a hoax”, to a wild statement that the US was spending $50m to send condoms to Gaza.
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Jon Stewart airs Trump 'approved' Daily Show
Jon Stewart has hosted the first edition of The Daily Show since his fellow late-night hosts, Jimmy Kimmel, was suspended by ABC.
Marketing itself as the “all new government approved Daily Show”, Stewart appeared in a studio bedecked by gold trimming, in an apparent nod to the president’s goldening of the Oval office.
Promising a “fun, hilarious and administration-compliant show” Stewart at times seemed to be channelling Ri Chun-hee, North Korea’s famed news anchor, as he talked about America’s dear “father” with his legendary “warmth and radiance”, who is always “perfectly tinted”.
After a recap of Trump’s state visit to the United Kingdom, Stewart went on to tackle Kimmel’s suspension, airing a clip of ITV journalist Robert Peston asking Trump on Thursday whether free speech was more under threat in the UK or the US?
Stewart then went on to air clips that provide a refresher on the new “rules of free speech” while showing a two month old social media post from Trump in which the president threatened that Kimmel’s show would be “next” to be axed.
We’ll bring you more from The Daily Show shortly.
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Former president Barack Obama has offered more thoughts on this current febrile moment in American discourse, sharing articles written in recent days about freedom of speech.
“This commentary offers a clear, powerful statement of why freedom of speech is at the heart of democracy and must be defended, whether the speaker is Charlie Kirk or Jimmy Kimmel, MAGA supporters or MAGA opponents,” Obama said in a post on X.
Among the articles he has shared is a New York Times opinion piece by columnist David French.
This commentary offers a clear, powerful statement of why freedom of speech is at the heart of democracy and must be defended, whether the speaker is Charlie Kirk or Jimmy Kimmel, MAGA supporters or MAGA opponents.
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) September 19, 2025
We’re starting to understand a bit more about what went on behind the scenes before Jimmy Kimmel’s late night programme was suspended by ABC.
According to Reuters, representatives from ABC-owner Disney and Kimmel raced to find the right words on Wednesday to calm a social media furore that had erupted after his remarks about the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Death threats had led to concerns for the safety of Kimmel and his staff, a source told Reuters, who on to say that the late-night host prepared to make a statement, but Kimmel and Disney representatives could not find language that they agreed.
Disney’s senior leadership reportedly agreed that the best approach would be to take the show off the air and later find a way to bring Kimmel back later, Reuters has said.
Bloomberg has reported that executives are now set to meet with Kimmel to discuss the future of the programme.
As calls grew for boycotts against Disney and other companies involved in removing Jimmy Kimmel from the air, an estimated 200 to 300 people protested outside Disney’s headquarters in Burbank on Thursday afternoon. Disney, which owns ABC, “indefinitely” suspended Kimmel’s show on Wednesday night.
“I believe that Disney and ABC are 100% responsible. They gave zero pushback,” Konstantine Anthony, a city council member from Burbank, told the Hollywood Reporter.
Some have attacked Disney and its CEO Bob Iger for what they saw as a swift capitulation to the Trump administration’s demand that they censor a prominent comedian.
A number of people demonstrated outside ABC’s studios in New York, Variety reported, where the crowd chanted “un-American” and “Kimmel must stay, Iger must go”.
“We want Jimmy Kimmel back on the air and we will keep speaking up and putting pressure in any way we can until that happens,” Writers Guild of America West president Meredith Stiehm told the Hollywood Reporter.
A reminder that Jon Stewart will be hosting tonight’s episode of The Daily Show and his guest will be Maria Ressa , the journalist and author of How to Stand Up to a Dictator. Ressa shared the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize for her fight for freedom of expression in the Philippines.
Earlier this month she wrote in the Guardian that we are living through an “information armageddon” where truth is being “murdered”.
The greatest threat we face today isn’t any individual leader or government – it’s the technology that’s amplifying authoritarian tactics worldwide, enabled by democratic governments that abdicated their responsibility to protect the public.”
Technology platforms have become weapons of mass destruction to democracy. Their algorithms spread infection.”
'I've always admired and respected Mr Trump,' Seth Meyers jokes, showering the president who wants him fired with fake praise
The NBC late-night host Seth Meyers made light of fears that he might be next in line to be canceled for mocking by pausing at the start of show on Thursday to say that while “his administration is pursuing a crack down on free speech… completely unrelated, I just want to say before we get started here that I’ve always admired and respected Mr Trump.”
As his audience broke into laughter, Meyers continued: “I’ve always believed he was, no, no, so, a visionary, an innovator, a great president, an even better golfer. And if you’ve ever seen me say anything negative about him, that’s just AI.”
He then went on to skewer Trump with his usual relish.
Meyers has been an antagonist of Trump for so long that he was the main act at the 2011 White House Correspondents Association dinner when Barack Obama famously brought the house down with his mockery of Trump, who was in the room.
Meyers focused on Trump for several minutes that night, starting with the observation that “Donald Trump has been saying that he will run for president as a Republican, which is surprising since I just assumed he was running as a joke.”
Trump responded to Meyers and Obama at the time on his YouTube video blog, From the Desk of Donald Trump, attacking Meyers as “a third-rate comedian” but claiming, improbably that he was flattered rather than enraged by Obama’s demolition of him.
Obama, he said, “was fine; he was respectful; he was cute… his delivery was great, and we all had a good time.”
“I tapped my wife on the knee,” Trump added. “I said, ‘Melania, do you believe this? Everybody’s talking about me. They’re up there, the president of the United States is talking about me, during this whole thing. I’m having a great time. This is unbelievable.’”
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Trump repeats bizarre claim he settled imaginary war between Albania and 'Aberbajan'
Before he left England on Thursday, Donald Trump found time to repeat his bizarre claim that he had settled a war between two nations that have never been at war: Albania and “Aberbajan”.
The president appeared to be referring, imprecisely, to a White House event last month in which the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a joint declaration of their intention to end decades of fighting over control of Nagorno-Karabakh, a breakaway region within Azerbaijan’s borders that was home to ethnic Armenians.
After Azerbaijan seized the region by force in 2023, the two countries agreed to a peace deal in March of this year, but implementation has been slow. To drive the process forward, the US brought the leaders of both to the White House to sign a deal focused on an economic development zone named for Trump.
Trump has continually claimed credit for actually ending the fighting himself, as part of a PR campaign aimed at winning himself the Nobel Peace Prize, but his knowledge of the conflict is so hazy that Thursday was the second time in a week that he mistakenly claimed that Albania, not Armenia, was a belligerent.
Last week, as the late-night host Seth Meyers explained, Trump made the same mistake during a live interview on a Fox morning show.
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Colbert calls suspension of Kimmel after threats from FCC chair a 'blatant assault on the freedom of speech'
In his opening monologue on Thursday night, Stephen Colbert mocked Disney executives for caving to threats from FCC chairman Brendan Carr when they pulled Jimmy Kimmel off the air.
In an excerpt posted on Instagram before broadcast, Colbert also scolded Carr for calling Kimmel’s commentary on the rush to politicize Charlie Kirk’s murder an affront to community values. “Well, you know what my community values are, Buster?” Colbert asked. “Freedom of speech.”
“People across the country are shocked by this blatant assault on the freedom of speech,” Colbert added.
Trump asks NPR reporter if her news outlet is connected to antifa
During his flight back to Washington on Thursday, Donald Trump expressed surprise that National Public Radio still exists, despite a vote by Congress in July to cease all federal funding for public media, and asked an NPR reporter if her outlet was connected the antifascist activists he described as terrorists earlier in the day.
“Mr. President regarding antifa, what you posted,” an NPR reporter began, in reference to Trump’s late-night social media post promising to designate loosely affiliated antifascist activist groups as “a major terror organization”.
“Who are you with?” Trump asked.
“NPR, sir,” the reporter replied.
“NPR. I heard they were gone,” Trump said, shaking his head in mock amazement. “Are they still here? Oh good, congratulations.”
“Regarding designating them a terrorist organization, when they don’t have defined leadership or membership, how do you target them?” the reporter asked.
“When who doesn’t?” Trump asked.
“Antifa,” the journalist repeated.
“Uhhh, we’re going to find out, right? We’re gonna see. People have been talking about it for a long time. We’re going to see,” Trump said. “Did they have anything to do with your network, antifa?”
“No,” the reporter said.
“OK, well we’re going to find out,” the president said.
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New York Times editor says 'there is no settlement' Trump's $15bn libel suit
Joe Kahn, the executive editor of the New York Times, told Axios on Thursday that there is no way for the news organization to settle in court when it is “being sued for libel by the president of the United States”.
Kahn made the comments in a live interview in which he also said, of the $15bn lawsuit:
“I don’t think the president of the United States should be suing media organizations for libel, full stop. I think that’s wrong. But I especially think it’s wrong when he’s wrong on the facts, when he’s wrong about the story, when he misunderstands the protections that the law offers to media organizations under the supreme court’s interpretation of libel law, and I think it’s incumbent on us to fight that to the end.”
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Jon Stewart, who hosts The Daily Show only on Mondays these days, will be behind the anchor desk on Thursday night, Comedy Central has announced.
Stewart, who transformed the previously apolitical late-night news satire show into a venue for scathing commentary on US politics and media, is no doubt stepping in on what should be a day off to discuss the chilling effect of ABC’s capitulation to the Trump administration by suspending Jimmy Kimmel.
Here’s how Stewart responded in July when CBS, which is owned by the same company as Comedy Central, announced that Trump critic Stephen Colbert’s Late Show would be canceled next year:
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Senator Elizabeth Warren expressed outrage at the recommendation on Thursday by a CDC vaccine advisory panel, packed with vaccine critics by Robert F Kennedy Jr, that children should no longer receive a single shot with a combination of measles, mumps, rubella chickenpox, which is also known as varicella, vaccines.
Previously, the panel had recommended that children receive the MMRV vaccine. On Thursday, the panel voted to recommend that children should receive multiple shots, making immunization a slower, more time-consuming process that could well led parents to skip some or all of the shots.
“Measles cases hit record highs with RFK Jr in charge,” Warren wrote. “Now, his hand-picked vaccine panel just voted to make it harder for little babies to get vaccinated for measles and other diseases. How does that keep our kids safe?”
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Trump says US TV networks, which are not licensed by the government, should have their licenses revoked
Speaking to reporters on his flight home from the UK on Thursday, Donald Trump insisted, wrongly, that US TV networks have to be licensed by the government to operate, and suggested that they should lose those licenses, which, again, they do not have, if they continue to host comedians who make fun of him.
While the Federal Communications Commission requires the owners of local television stations, which are often affiliated with national networks that produce programming, to obtain licenses, the FCC explicitly states on its website: “We do not license TV or radio networks (such as CBS, NBC, ABC or Fox) or other organizations that stations have relationships with, such as PBS or NPR.”
The federal regulator also states: “Broadcasters – not the FCC or any other government agency – are responsible for selecting the material they air. The first amendment and the Communications Act expressly prohibit the Commission from censoring broadcast matter.”
Trump, however, appears not to know this. When he was asked by a reporter if he intends to ask Brendan Carr, the FCC chair, “to weigh in on other late-night hosts that you have said should be off the air”, the president replied: “You know, when late-night host is on network television, there is a licensing.”
“I’ll give you an example. I read someplace that the networks were 97% against me,” Trump added. “If they’re 97% against, they give me only bad publicity, or press, I mean, they’re getting a license, I would think maybe their license should be taken away.”
Later in the exchange, the president restated his misunderstanding that networks have to be licensed by the FCC.
“When you have a network and you have evening shows and all they do is hit Trump,” Trump said. “That’s all they do. If you go back, I guess they haven’t had a conservative on in years or something somebody said. But when you go back and you take a look, all they do is hit Trump. They’re licensed. They’re not allowed to do that. They’re an arm of the Democrat party.”
The president then ended the brief news conference by saying: “Thank you everybody. Have a good flight. Fly safely. You know why I say that? Because I’m on the flight. Otherwise I wouldn’t care.”
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Kimmel to meet with Disney executives on future of suspended show – report
The comedian Jimmy Kimmel will meet with Disney executives on Thursday to talk about the future of his show, Bloomberg News reports, citing three unnamed sources.
According to the news agency’s sources, the discussion will focus on whether there is some way to bring Jimmy Kimmel Live! back on the air.
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Lawmakers arrested at anti-ICE protest
Several New York lawmakers, religious leaders and other demonstrators were arrested on Thursday afternoon as they blocked a garage entry and exit way to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) offices in lower Manhattan.
The underground garage at the federal facility is used by Ice vehicles to transport recently-arrested immigrants, including people detained after attending immigration court these days, since Ice officers began, under Donald Trump, breaking such norms.
Protesters being arrested chanted “Ice out of New York” as they were put in zip ties by New York Police Department (NYPD) officers.
Elected officials arrested outside 26 Federal Plaza included New York City public advocate Jumaane Williams, city council members Tiffany Cabán and Sandy Nurse and state assembly member Phara Souffrant Forrest.
Here are some more images from the protest.
And more.
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A powerful vaccines committee for the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) voted on Thursday to change US vaccine policy and start recommending that children receive multiple vaccines to protect against diseases like measles, mumps, rubella and chicken pox, instead of a single vaccine that can protect against all four diseases.
The new recommendations from the panel, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), arrived just one day after top former CDC officials said that Robert F Kennedy Jr was a threat to US children’s ability to receive vaccines on schedule. The committee’s work typically determines which vaccines are provided for free through the US government, shapes state and local laws around vaccine requirements, and influences which vaccines health insurers tend to cover.
Previously, the panel had recommended that children receive the MMMR vaccine, which offers combined protections against measles, mumps, rubella and chicken pox, which is also known as varicella. Parents could still choose to immunize their children through multiple vaccines. Under the committee’s new recommendations, children should receive multiple vaccines: one vaccine that guards against measles, mumps and rubella, which is known as the MMR vaccine, and a separate vaccine that immunizes them against chicken pox.
However, the committee also voted not to change the vaccines that are provided for free to low-income children through a US government program called Vaccines for Children. That discrepancy sparked outcry and confusion among several members of the committee, who at times seemed unsure about the meaning of their votes.
Letterman condemns ABC for suspending Kimmel 'to suck up to an authoritarian criminal administration'
In a live interview with the Atlantic on Thursday, David Letterman called the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel, under pressure from Donald Trump’s FCC, “a misery.”
“In the world of somebody who’s an authoritarian, maybe a dictatorship, sooner or later everyone is going to be touched,” Letterman said.
He added:
“They took care of Colbert – that was rude, that was inexcusable, the man deserves a great deal of credit, he’s in the Hall of Fame nine times, and to be manipulated like that, because the Ellison family didn’t want to trouble Donald Trump with this move, so they got rid of him. Not only got rid of him, got rid of the whole franchise. ‘You’re not going to have to worry about anything, Larry. It’s all gone. It’s fine. Good night.’”
And then my good friend Jimmy Kimmel. You know, I just, I feel bad about this because we all see where this is going, correct? It’s managed media. And it’s no good. It’s silly. It’s ridiculous. And you can’t go around firing somebody because you’re fearful or trying to suck up to an authoritarian criminal administration in the Oval Office. That’s just not how this works.
The editor of the Atlantic pressed Letterman on what Trump’s FCC chair called the “news distortion” in Kimmel’s monologue on Monday, the comedian’s claim that Maga Republicans were “desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them”. The suspected gunman, Tyler Robinson, was a gun-owning Utahn, raised in a pro-Trump, Republican family, but evidence made public in charging documents suggests that he killed Kirk because he considered the far-right activist “evil”.
“So what? We all make mistakes, I mean, good Lord,” Letterman replied. “Mistakes are going to be made. Hopefully it will improve. I think, sadly, it’s not going to improve. I’m not exactly in full-mind understanding of what Jimmy said, what he was trying to say, and what mistake was made. This is something that was predicted by our president right after Stephen Colbert. Colbert got walked off. So you’re telling me that this isn’t premeditated at some level?”
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'I don’t think this is the last shoe to drop,' Trump's FCC chair tells Fox
In an interview with Fox News on Thursday, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr, praised the owners of local TV stations that broadcast ABC programming for putting pressure on the network’s owner, Disney, to take Jimmy Kimmel off the air, in response to what Carr called Kimmel’s “distortion” of the news about Charlie Kirk’s murder in a monologue on Monday.
“The key point is these were local TV stations, licensed by the FCC, that have a public interest obligation to serve their local community, they pushed back on Disney,” Carr said, referring to ABC affiliated stations owned and operated by Nexstar and Sinclair that decided to take Kimmel off the air. Those station owner, in Carr’s words, “said ‘We don’t think that this type of programming is responsive to the needs of our viewers in Utah, in Pennsylvania,’ and that’s exactly the way the system is supposed to work.”
We’re going to back to that era when local TV stations, judging the public interest, get to decide what the American people think,” Carr added.
He then suggested that pressure from the FCC on the local license holders had been a factor. “We’re constraining the power… of Disney of Comcast. I think the American public are going to be much better off,” he said. “I don’t think this is the last shoe to drop. This is a massive shift that’s taking place in the media ecosystem the consequences will continue to flow.”
Carr’s mention of Comcast, which owns NBC, might be ominous for the network’s late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers, both of whom Donald Trump has called for to be fired over their criticism of him.
In July, Carr wrote to Comcast to announce that he that he had launched an investigation into the company’s relations with its NBC affiliates, after Trump called for the network to be held “accountable” for what he called content favoring the Democratic party.
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Chair of Senate health committee calls on RFK Jr to 'share his side of the story' after fired CDC director's testimony
The chairman of the Senate’s health committee, Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican who is also a medical doctor, called on Thursday for the health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, to appear before the committee again, one day after it heard from the fired director of the CDC, Susan Monarez.
“I am inviting Secretary Kennedy to speak with the Committee to share his side of the story,” Cassidy wrote in a statement.
Monarez testified on Wednesday that Kennedy had tried to get her to agree in advance to approve whatever vaccine recommendations a panel of outside experts, including anti-vaccine activists appointed by him, issued, without applying her own scientific judgement, or consulting CDC scientists. When she refused, he fired her.
Lost creator pledges not to work with Disney unless it puts Jimmy Kimmel back on the air
As Writers Guild of America union members protested the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel outside Disney/ABC in Los Angeles on Thursday, a powerful Hollywood showrunner, Damon Lindelof, has promised not to work with Disney unless it puts Kimmel back on the air.
Lindelof, a creator of the ABC series Lost and other dramas, wrote on Instagram:
I was shocked, saddened and infuriated by yesterday’s suspension and look forward to it being lifted soon. If it isn’t, I can’t in good conscience work for the company that imposed it.
Lindelof also wrote: “if you know Jimmy… You know he loves his country. You know he appreciates a good roast and he can take as good as he gives. You know he supported his crew through multiple strikes and you know he is generous and philanthropic and most of all, you know that he is kind.”
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Local elected officials, religious leaders and immigrant rights protesters in New York are currently staging a protest at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) offices in downtown Manhattan.
A group of demonstrators, including members of the New York City council and New York state assembly are blocking the garage entrance and exit, where Ice enters and exists to transport recently-arrested immigrants. Among the demonstrators blocking the garage are New York City council member Tiffany Cabán, New York state senator Robert Jackson, city council member Alexa Avilés and New York State assemblymember Alex Bores.
At least 70 demonstrators arrived to protest the Trump administration’s mass deportation policies.
Elected officials and activists are also protesting inside the immigration courts, where immigrants have been arrested in the past few months. Among those inside the hallways are New York City’s chief financial officer, Brad Lander, New York state senator Julia Salazar, New York State assemblymember Emily Gallagher and New York state senator Jabari Brisport.
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In the final answer of his Fox News interview, Trump said that while it is “ideally” his job to bring people together, “success” ultimately brought people together in the past.
“I think the only thing that’s going to bring them is tremendous success, and that includes economic success,” Trump said, after suggesting that the Covid-19 pandemic was part of the reason behind the rise in “tremendous hatred”.
The president has received intense criticism from Democratic leaders for politicizing Charlie Kirk’s murder, and blaming the “radical left” for his death without denouncing political violence at large.
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In his interview with Fox News, Donald Trump said that he’s not sure about who is behind what he sees as “crazed” behavior and statements, following the killing of Charlie Kirk. He noted one example of someone trampling through flowers and tributes to Kirk outside Turning Point USA’s headquarters in Arizona.
When Martha MacCallum asked the president who he thinks is “behind” these actions, Trump said: “You hear [George] Soros, I don’t know.”
He added that “we’re going to find out if he’s behind it, but it’s incitement to riot”.
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Trump says American manufacturing will take effect 'in a year or so'
The president just said, in line with his previous comments, that the revitalization in American manufacturing will start to really take effect in a “year or so”.
“Car companies are moving back,” Trump said. “They’re all coming back now to the United States. They’re building car companies and factories, all of the coming back from Mexico and Canada.”
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'He's a very fine guy', Trump says of British PM Starmer
Donald Trump said that Keir Starmer is a “very fine guy” when asked about how the British prime minister is handling immigration in the UK.
“He’s more liberal than me. I think he should take a very strong stand on the immigration it’s really hurting him badly,” Trump added. “I think he has to open up the North Sea. They have some of the best oil in the world, and they have a lot of it.”
Trump says King Charles is a 'tremendous man' in Fox News interview
The president has said King Charles is a “tremendous man who really stepped into a very tough position” in an interview with Fox News, airing now.
When asked about the substance of Trump’s conversation with King Charles, the president said: “I think that he was more interested in trade. You know, he loves the environment too. He likes to talk about the environment, but he was more interested in trade than anything else.”
The president added that Brendan Carr, chair of the Federal Communication Commission (FCC), is “outstanding as a patriot”.
Carr faced calls from top House Democrats to resign today, while congressman Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, even motioned to subpoena Carr in front of the House Oversight committee.
“This administration has initiated the largest assault on the first amendment and free speech in modern history. They’re making comedy illegal,” Khanna said.
For his part, Trump said that the head of the FCC “loves our country” and that “he’s a tough guy”.
“I think Brendan Carr is doing a great job, and I think he’s a great patriot,” the president added.
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Trump suggests that networks who cover him 'negatively' should lose their licenses
On Air Force One, Donald Trump gaggled with reporters on his flight back to the US. The president said that the major US networks were “97% against me”.
He didn’t offer evidence to prove this figure, or how this conclusion was evaluated. He simply said that he read the statistic “someplace”.
“Again, 97% negative, and yet I won easily. I won all seven swing states,” Trump added. “They give me only bad press. I mean they’re getting a license. I would think maybe their licenses should be taken away.”
Barack Obama weighs in on Kimmel suspension, accuses Trump administration of 'muzzling' or 'firing' dissenters
Former president Barack Obama has weighed in on the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s late night show.
“After years of complaining about cancel culture, the current administration has taken it to a new and dangerous level by routinely threatening regulatory action against media companies unless they muzzle or fire reporters and commentators it doesn’t like,” Obama wrote in a post on X.
He also shared an article about fired Washington Post columnist Karen Attiah, who says she was dismissed from the paper for social media posts she made following the killing of Charlie Kirk, where she denounced political violence, but lamented the lack of action to curb gun violence.
Obama said her firing was “precisely the kind of government coercion that the first amendment was designed to prevent – and media companies need to start standing up rather than capitulating to it.
Earlier, at a press conference with Democratic lawmakers introducing the No Political Enemies (Nope) Act, senator Chris Murphy, of Connecticut, gave a hint as to how Democrats may get around the GOP’s rejection of their effort to protect dissenting speech, noting the issue could come into play in the ongoing dispute over how to fund the government and prevent a shutdown after 30 September.
“I’ll just speak for myself – I do not think Democrats have an obligation to fund the destruction of our democracy. And so, of course, for me, I am going to require that there be at least some modicum of protections for democracy in any budget that we pass,” he said, adding: “Why would we write a budget that the president isn’t even committed to implementing? Why would we fund this level of lawlessness at a moment that the country is under threat?”
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Here's a recap of the day so far
At a press conference with British prime minister Keir Starmer, Trump said that Jimmy Kimmel was fired for a “lack of talent”. When asked about free speech in the US versus the UK, after the comedian’s late night talkshow was indefinitely taken off the air, Trump suggested that it wasn’t in retaliation for his monologue about the murder of Charlie Kirk. In his remarks, Kimmel said that “the Maga gang [is] desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them.” Kimmel went on to say that Trump allies are trying to “score political points” since Tyler Robinson was charged with Kirk’s murder. Trump that Kimmel “had very bad ratings” and “they should have fired him a long time ago.”
Earlier, top House Democrats called on Brendan Carr, chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), to resign over the indefinite suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live!. Congressional leaders accuse Carr – who runs the US’s media watchdog – of engaging in a “corrupt abuse of power” by “bullying ABC” and forcing the media company to “bend the knee to the Trump administration”.
Meanwhile, in the US Senate today, several Democratic lawmakers denounced Kimmel’s suspension while announcing bicameral legislation to protect political dissidents. Senator Chris Murphy, of Connecticut, called Kirk’s death “a national tragedy”, but accused the president of “choosing to exploit this tragedy, to weaponize the federal government to destroy Donald Trump’s political opposition”. Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said that the administration was trying to “snuff out” free speech, warning this would be the “road to autocracy”.
In an unprecedented move, the Trump administration escalated its targeting of the Federal Reserve by asking the supreme court to let the president move ahead with firing Fed governor Lisa Cook today. The justice department wants the top court to lift a district judge’s order that blocked Trump from removing Cook from her role.
Turning Point USA has announced that Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, has been “unanimously elected” to be its new CEO and chair. According to their announcement on X, this is in line with Charlie Kirk’s wishes in the event of his death.
Back on Capitol Hill today, DC officials, including mayor Muriel Bowser, faced lawmakers on the House Oversight committee. The mayor continued walking her tightrope with the Trump administration, and avoided commenting on the Trump’s policies in the district, while noting crime in the city has fallen. Other district leaders who appeared alongside Bowser were more pointed in their pushback. “We are a city under seige,” said Democratic city council chair Phil Mendelson.
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Democratic senator Chris Murphy warned that Jimmy Kimmel is likely to not be the last person to lose their job, or face retaliation for their criticism of Donald Trump. He said it would be important to engage with companies to convince them against retaliation.
“This is going to be an epidemic where there will be speech control, both in the public sphere, but in the private sphere as well. These corporations are so greedy that they are willing to do anything and everything in order to make as much money as possible, including being lieutenants in Donald Trump’s effort to try to control political speech,” Murphy said.
“We need to be talking not just to President Trump and the broad public, but to the corporate community as well, and put the question to them. You’re going to rue this moment, you’re going to regret this moment on your deathbed when America is no longer a democracy anymore, and you were willing participants in the effort to destroy political speech.”
'The road to autocracy': Trump administration 'trying to snuff out free speech', says Schumer
Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer warned that Donald Trump’s and his officials’ threats against people who criticize murdered conservative activist Charlie Kirk “is an assault on everything this country has stood for since the Constitution has been signed”.
“One of the great hallmarks of our country is free speech, whether you agree or disagree, and this administration is trying to snuff it out. They don’t want people to even speak when they don’t like what they said. That is the road to autocracy,” he continued.
Congressman Jason Crow, who is championing the legislation in the House, warned that undermining free speech now will haunt future administrations.
“Power is always cyclical in America,” he said. “Sometime in the future, it’ll be somebody else to have that right to question us, to push back. And if we lose it, we all lose it.”
'This is a decision moment for the country': Murphy urges Republicans to back anti-censorship legislation
The legislation senator Chris Murphy will introduce along with congressman Jason Crow, both Democrats, contains several measures intended to protect anti-government speech and prevent censorship.
At a press conference where he was joined by nine other House and Senate Democrats, Murphy said the bill “creates a specific defense for those that are being targeted for political reasons. It builds real consequences for government officials when they use the power of the government to target speech that is protected by the First Amendment and it gives an ability to recover attorneys fees when someone is the subject of government harassment.”
“This is a decision moment for the country,” he said, and encouraged Republicans to get behind the measure.
“Conservatives who say that they support democracy and free speech need to speak up right now. Our Republican colleagues need to put the health of our democracy before loyalty to their leader.”
The measure’s prospects are unclear, but Congress’s Republican leaders have thusfar shown little interest in legislation that does not align with Donald Trump’s priorities.
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'That's not America': Jimmy Kimmel suspension amounts to 'censorship', says senator Chris Murphy
At a press conference to announce legislation to protect government dissidents, Democratic senator Chris Murphy said the Trump administration’s pressure campaign that resulted in Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension by ABC yesterday amounted to “censorship”.
Kimmel’s show was taken off the air over comments he made about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Murphy called Kirk’s death “a national tragedy”, but accused the president of “choosing to exploit this tragedy, to weaponize the federal government to destroy Donald Trump’s political opposition”.
“Last night, they showed us exactly how serious they are,” Murphy continued. “Trump’s FCC forced a major network to pull a loud Trump critic, Jimmy Kimmel, off the air, essentially saying that any media actor that doesn’t say what Trump wants them to say about Charlie Kirk or Trump’s policies is going to be silenced.
“That’s censorship. That’s state speech control. That’s not America.”
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Erika Kirk elected as new CEO and chair of Turning Point USA
Turning Point USA has announced that Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, has been “unanimously elected” to be its new CEO and chair.
According to the announcement on X, this is in line with Charlie Kirk’s wishes in the event of his death.
The Turning Point Board has unanimously elected Erika Kirk as the new CEO and Chair of the Board.
— Turning Point USA (@TPUSA) September 18, 2025
In prior discussions, Charlie expressed to multiple executives that this is what he wanted in the event of his death. pic.twitter.com/PazORgiHWP
Here’s is Gomez’s full statement:
We cannot allow an inexcusable act of political violence to be twisted into a justification for government censorship and control. First, an ABC reporter was told that his coverage amounted to hate speech and that he should be prosecuted simply for doing his job. Then, the FCC threatened to go after this same network, seizing on a late-night comedian’s inopportune joke as a pretext to punish speech it disliked. That led to a shameful show of cowardly corporate capitulation by ABC that has put the foundation of the First Amendment in danger.
This FCC does not have the authority, the ability, or the constitutional right to police content or punish broadcasters for speech the government dislikes. If it were to take the unprecedented step of trying to revoke broadcast licenses, which are held by local stations rather than national networks, it would run headlong into the First Amendment and fail in court on both the facts and the law. But even the threat to revoke a license is no small matter. It poses an existential risk to a broadcaster, which by definition cannot exist without its license. That makes billion-dollar companies with pending business before the agency all the more vulnerable to pressure to bend to the government’s ideological demands.
When corporations surrender in the face of that pressure, they endanger not just themselves, but the right to free expression for everyone in this country. The duty to defend the First Amendment does not rest with government, but with all of us. Free speech is the foundation of our democracy, and we must push back against any attempt to erode it.
The only Democrat-aligned FCC commissioner, Anna Gomez, has issued a statement in response to ABC’s decision to “capitulate to government pressure that violates the First Amendment and threatens free expression” by pulling Jimmy Kimmel off the air and suspending him indefinitely.
The shocking move followed pressure from the Trump administration on broadcasters to crack down on the comedian over his comments on Charlie Kirk’s death.
“This FCC does not have the authority, the ability, or the constitutional right to police content or punish broadcasters for speech the government dislikes,” Gomez said. “Free speech is the foundation of our democracy, and we must push back against any attempt to erode it.”
Trump asks supreme court to allow firing of Fed governor Lisa Cook
The Trump administration has asked the supreme court to let him move ahead with firing Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook - a move without precedent since the central bank’s founding in 1913 - in a legal battle that imperils the Fed’s independence.
Reuters reports that the justice department has asked the justices to lift US district judge Jia Cobb’s 9 September order temporarily blocking the president from removing Cook, a Biden appointee. Cobb ruled that Trump’s claims that Cook committed mortgage fraud before taking office, which Cook denies, likely were not sufficient grounds for removal under the law that created the Fed.
“This application involves yet another case of improper judicial interference with the President’s removal authority – here, interference with the President’s authority to remove members of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors for cause,” the DOJ said in the filing.
Cook took part in the Fed’s highly anticipated two-day meeting in Washington on Tuesday and Wednesday in which the central bank decided to cut interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point, as policymakers responded to concerns about weakness in the job market. Cook was among those voting in favor of the cut announced yesterday.
The US court of appeals for the District of Columbia circuit in a 2-1 ruling on Monday denied the administration’s request to put Cobb’s order on hold. The Trump administration on Tuesday said it would ask the justices to intervene.
“The President lawfully removed Lisa Cook for cause. The Administration will appeal this decision and looks forward to ultimate victory on the issue,” White House spokesperson Kush Desai said on Tuesday.
Congress included provisions in the law that created the Fed to shield the central bank from political interference. Under that law, Fed governors may be removed by a president only “for cause”, though the law does not define the term nor establish procedures for removal. No president has ever removed a Fed governor, and the law has never been tested in court.
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DC officials offer varying degrees of pushback against Trump administration in hearing remarks
Democratic mayor Muriel Bowser has generally sought to avoid antagonizing the Trump administration, even after the president ordered an unprecedented takeover of the police department to fight an alleged crime wave.
She continued that trend in her opening remarks at the House oversight committee’s hearing into the federal district, avoiding comment on the president’s policies while noting crime in the city has fallen.
“Post-covid, we experienced a violent crime spike. In 2023, when I was last here, I explained how we would drive down those trends, and it is working,” she said, pointing to a 53% drop in violent crime in the city compared to 2023.
Other Washington elected officials who appeared alongside Bowser were not so restrained.
“We are a city under siege. It is frustrating to watch this committee debate and vote on 14 bills regarding the District without a single public hearing, with no input from District officials or the public, without regard for community impact nor a shred of analysis, including legal sufficiency or fiscal impact,” Democratic city council chair Phil Mendelson said.
In his remarks, attorney general Brian Schwalb said: “Sending masked agents in unmarked cars to pick people off the streets, flooding our neighborhoods with national guardsmen who are untrained in local policing, attempting a federal takeover of our police force – none of these are durable, long-lasting solutions for driving crime down.”
DC mayor faces lawmakers on House Oversight committee
The House oversight committee’s hearing with Washington DC mayor Muriel Bowser got under way about an hour ago, and all signs point to it being a predictably partisan affair.
It’s the first appearance by Bowser and other top district officials since Donald Trump took over the police department for a now-expired 30-day period, and ordered federal agents and national guard to patrol its streets. Last week, Republicans on the oversight committee advanced 14 bills to change DC’s criminal laws, almost all of which were opposed by Democrats and city officials.
“The left wing politicians who say that DC does not have a crime problem are either delusional or simply lying to the American people. This body must ensure that the progress made by the President’s recent actions endures,” the oversight committee’s Republican chair James Comer said as the hearing began.
Its top Democrat Robert Garcia hit back by saying that panel should be more concerned by crimes committed by the Trump administration: “Congress should not be undermining the elected representatives and the people of Washington DC, and if the majority today wants to talk about crime in DC, in the district, we’re happy to talk about crime in DC. We know that some of the worst crime and corruption in DC is actually found at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.”
When asked at the press conference about the firing of Peter Mandelson, and whether Trump had any sympathy for the former British ambassador’s termination over his links to Jeffrey Epstein, the president punted the question to Keir Starmer.
“I think maybe the prime minister would be better speaking of that. That was a choice that he made,” Trump said.
In response Starmer kept his answer short: “It’s very straightforward. Some information came to light last week which wasn’t available when he was appointed, and I made a decision about it.”
Earlier this week, Starmer told the BBC that he wouldn’t have appointed Mandelson had he known the full extent of his relationship with the late sex offender.
In September, documents subpoenaed by the House Oversight Committee included a message from Mandelson for Epstein’s 50th birthday, where the former ambassador referred to Epstein as his “best pal”.
Earlier, when Peston asked Trump about when he would use his position to persuade prime minister Netanyahu to stop “the demolition of Gaza City”, “the starvation of Palestine”, and to stop “the killing of civilians”, the president avoided the question almost entirely.
Instead, he pivoted to talking about the impact of the 7 October attack by Hamas. “I can’t forget about it. So I want it to end, but I want the hostages back. I don’t want the hostages used as human shields, which is what Hamas is threatening to do,” Trump said.
Trump on Kimmel suspension: 'He was fired for lack of talent'
When asked by ITV’s Robert Peston about whether free speech is under attack more in the UK or the US, following the indefinite suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s late night show, the president chimed in.
Trump said that Kimmel “had very bad ratings” and “they should have fired him a long time ago.”
“He [Kimmel] said a horrible thing about a great gentleman known as Charlie Kirk,” Trump added. “You can call that free speech or not. He was fired for lack of talent.”
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Trump also just said that the UK’s plan to “recognize a Palestinian state” is “one of the few things” where the two leaders disagree.
“We have to have the hostages back immediately. That’s what the people of Israel want. They want them back. And we want the fighting to stop, and it’s going to stop,” Trump said.
Trump also spent time in his opening remarks remembering the conservative activist Charlie Kirk, his ally who was murdered last week at a campus event at Utah Valley University.
“I told him, I said, ‘Charlie, I think you have a good shot someday at being president’,” Trump said. “I appreciate the many British citizens who have offered their condolences.”
The president confirmed that he’ll be attending the public memorial for Kirk in Arizona on Sunday 21st September, where he’s expected to deliver remarks.
'Putin has let me down', Trump says
The president just said that the Kremlin leader, Vladimir Putin, has disappointed him. “He’s let me down, he’s really let me down,” Trump said. “Russia and Ukraine, we’ll get it done … you know war is a different thing. Things happen that are very opposite of what you thought. You thought you were going to have an easy time or a hard time. And it turns out to be the reverse.”
Joint press conference between Donald Trump and Keir Starmer begins
UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, kicks off the press conference with Donald Trump.
“We’ve renewed the special relationship for a new era,” Starmer says. “This afternoon, we’re confirming our status as the first partners in science and technology, ready to define this century together.”
Earlier the pair signed a “tech prosperity deal” which includes billions of dollars in mutual investment from leading technology companies in both countries.
My colleague, Andrew Sparrow, is bringing you the latest developments.
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Also today, we’ll be keeping an eye on the latest lines from the first day of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meeting.
This is the vaccine advisory panel which offers recommendations about a slate of crucial inoculations. These recommendations include who should get a particular jab, the age range, the dose and time between shots, as well as any precautions.
According to the schedule, today’s committee meeting will focus on the Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella (MMRV) vaccine, as well as the Hepatitis B vaccine.
A reminder, that health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr replaced all 17 members of the panel earlier this year, and has faced criticism for hand-picking replacements who have spread misinformation about the efficacy of vaccines.
On Wednesday, two ex-leaders at the Centers of Disease Control, including the fired director Susan Monarez, expressed their fears about the outcomes of the upcoming ACIP meetings.
“The stakes are not theoretical. We already have seen the largest measles outbreak in more than 30 years, which claimed the lives of two children. If vaccine protections are weakened, preventable diseases will return,” Monarez said.
Responses to ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ being taken off the air continue to pour in, and the union which represents musicians in the show’s band has called the suspension an example of “state censorship”.
“This act by the Trump Administration represents a direct attack on free speech and artistic expression,” said Tino Gagliardi, the president of the American Federation of Musicians. “It is now happening in the United States of America, not some far-off country. It’s happening right here and right now.”
Top House Democrats say FCC chair should resign over Kimmel suspension
Top House Democrats are calling on Brendan Carr, chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), to resign over the indefinite suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s late night show.
The congressional leaders accuse Carr – who runs the US’s media watchdog – of engaging in a “corrupt abuse of power” by “bullying ABC” and forcing the media company to “bend the knee to the Trump administration”.
Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, minority whip Katherine Clark, Democratic caucus chair Pete Aguilar, as well as other leading Democrats in the lower chamber, all said the move to take Kimmel’s show off the air “will not be forgotten” and promised an investigation if necessary.
Donald Trump and the Republican Party’s war on the first amendment is blatantly inconsistent with American values. Media companies, such as the one that suspended Mr. Kimmel, have a lot to explain. The censoring of artists and cancellation of shows is an act of cowardice. It may also be part of a corrupt pay-to-play scheme. House Democrats will make sure the American people learn the truth, even if that requires the relentless unleashing of congressional subpoena power.
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Trump says bond between US and UK ‘unbreakable’ at business leaders reception
Speaking in front of reporters at the business leaders reception, Donald Trump said that the US has an “unbreakable bond” with the UK.
The ties between the UK and the US are “priceless”, he added.
He also said that and Melania will be forever thankful to King Charles for the “fantastic” evening last night.
Trump and Starmer then signed a “tech prosperity deal”, an agreement which includes billions in tech investment from some of the US’ leading technology companies.
Back on Capitol Hill today, DC’s mayor, Muriel Bowser, will testify before lawmakers on the House Oversight Committee at 10am EST. She’ll be joined by other top DC officials: attorney general Brian Schwalb, and chair of the district council, Phil Mendelson.
Last week, the president’s federal takeover of the DC police expired. Bowser, however, signed an order earlier this month which extended cooperation between local law enforcement and federal agencies indefinitely. But the mayor was resolute that the Metropolitan Police department (MPD) wasn’t required to work alongside Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice).
“Immigration enforcement is not what MPD does,” she said at a press conference.
In response, the president relaunched his attacks on the district this week and threatened to another takeover. “I’ll call a National Emergency, and Federalize, if necessary!!!,” he wrote in a post on Truth Social.
This will be another one to watch, when it comes to the tightrope that Bowser has been walking since Trump returned to office this year.
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It’s the president’s last day of his state visit to the UK – the second since he returned to the White House this year.
Earlier, Trump and the first lady, Melania Trump, left Windsor Castle. Trump then travelled to Chequers Estate – the British prime minister’s country home – where the president took part in a bilateral meeting with Keir Starmer. The president and prime minister are due hold a reception for several business leaders. It looks like this may be running a little late.
In the meantime, Melania Trump has spent time with Queen Camilla and the Princess of Wales in Windsor, which included a tour of Frogmore House.
Trump and Starmer will hold a press conference at 9:20am EST.
A reminder that we’re following the latest developments in our dedicated blog below.
White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett on Thursday welcomed the Federal Reserve’s decision to lower interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point as a good first step.
“The bottom line is that moving kind of slow and steady and heading towards the target, watching the data come in, that’s what prudent policy is,” Hassett said in an interview with CNBC.
He said he knew some in the Trump administration, like new Fed governor Steven Miran, wanted the rate to go lower, “but I think 25 [basis point] is a pretty broad consensus.”
There were no hurricanes in the Gulf, as can be typical for Louisiana in late July – but Governor Jeff Landry quietly declared a state of emergency. The Louisiana state penitentiary at Angola – the largest maximum security prison in the country – was out of bed space for “violent offenders” who would be “transferred to its facilities”, he warned in an executive order.
The emergency declaration allowed for the rapid refurbishing of a notorious, shuttered housing unit at Angola formerly known as Camp J – commonly referred to by prisoners as “the dungeon” because it was once used to house men in extended solitary confinement, sometimes for years on end.
For over a month, the Landry administration was tight-lipped regarding the details of their plan for Camp J, and the emergency order wasn’t picked up by the news media for several days.
But the general understanding among Louisiana’s criminal justice observers was that the move was in response to a predictable overcrowding in state prisons due to Landry’s own “tough-on-crime” policies. Though Louisiana already had the highest incarceration rate in the country before he got into office, Landry has pushed legislation to increase sentences, abolish parole, and put 17-year-olds in adult prisons.
Advocates swiftly objected to the reopening of Camp J, noting its history of brutality and violence. Ronald Marshall served 25 years in the Louisiana prison system, including a number of them in solitary confinement at Camp J, and called it the worst place he ever served time.
“It was horrible,” Marshall said.
More US adults view Israel’s military action in the Palestinian territory as excessive than at the beginning of the war, according to a new poll.
About half of Americans say the military response from Israel in the Gaza Strip has “gone too far,” according to the survey from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
That’s up from November 2023, when 40% said Israel’s military action had gone too far, AP reports.
But at the same time, Americans overall, particularly Republicans, are less likely to say that negotiating a ceasefire should be a high priority for the US government than they were just a few months ago when the US was holding ceasefire talks with Hamas.
The shift in American attitudes about Israel’s actions comes as Israel begins an expanded ground offensive on Gaza City.
Israel is facing increased international scrutiny over its conduct in Gaza, with a team of independent experts commissioned by the United Nations’ Human Rights Council this week announcing it has concluded that Israel is committing genocide.
Health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr’s hand-picked vaccine advisers to the CDC are set to hold a meeting on Thursday and Friday that could set out a new path for the country’s vaccination policy.
Kennedy, a long-time anti-vaccine activist, fired all 17 members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices earlier this year and created a smaller panel that now has 12 new members.
The vaccine advisory committee is expected to review guidance and vote on recommendations on shots for hepatitis B, measles-mumps-rubella-varicella on Thursday and Covid-19 on Friday, Reuters reported.
The committee is chaired by Martin Kulldorff, a biostatistician and epidemiologist who publicly criticized Covid-10 lockdowns and was fired from Harvard for refusing to take a Covid-19 vaccine.
In June, he said that the panel would study the use of a combined measles-mumps-rubella-varicella shot.
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In Hollywood, where Jimmy Kimmel’s show is recorded, audience members were turned away at the door before taping began on Wednesday, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Tommy Williams, a longshoreman from Florida, told AFP the indefinite suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! felt un-American. The 51-year-old said:
Any show that’s on TV that speaks out against Donald Trump, he’s trying to shut down,
We’re losing our freedom of speech. This is something that happens in Russia and North Korea and China, state-run TVs stuff.
Sherri Mowbray, a San Francisco resident, said she was “devastated.” She told AFP:
This is free speech. We are supposed to have free speech in this country, and this is not free speech. He didn’t say anything wrong. I’m really upset.
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On Wednesday night, Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican senator, praised Donald Trump’s announcement, saying:
Antifa seized upon a movement of legitimate grievances to promote violence and anarchy, working against justice for all. The president is right to recognize the destructive role of antifa by designating them domestic terrorists.
In July 2019, Cassidy and Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican senator, introduced a resolution in the Senate to condemn the violent acts of antifa and to designate the group a domestic terror organization.
In 2020, in the midst of the George Floyd protests, Trump also raised the idea of designating antifa as a terror organization.
Trump’s previous FBI director, Christopher Wray, said in testimony that year that antifa is an ideology, not an organization, lacking the hierarchical structure that would usually allow it to be designated as a terror group by the federal government.
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Trump says he plans to designate antifa as ‘major terrorist organization’
Away from the Jimmy Kimmel news for a moment. Donald Trump said early on Thursday that he plans to designate antifa as a “major terrorist organization”.
Antifa, short for “anti-fascists”, is an umbrella term for far-left-leaning activist groups and is not a single entity. These are groups that resist fascists and neo-Nazis, especially at demonstrations.
It was unclear how the administration would label what is in effect a decentralized movement as a terrorist organization, and the White House on Wednesday did not immediately offer more details.
The US president, who is on a state visit to the UK, made the announcement in a social media post shortly before 1.30am Thursday local time. He called antifa a “SICK, DANGEROUS, RADICAL LEFT DISASTER”. He also said he will be “strongly recommending” that funders of antifa be investigated.
Antifa is a domestic entity and, as such, is not a candidate for inclusion on the state department’s list of foreign terror organizations. Dozens of groups, including extremist organizations like the Islamic State and al-Qaida, are included on that list. The designation matters in part because it enables the justice department to prosecute those who give material support to entities on that list even if that support does not result in violence.
There is no domestic equivalent to that list in part because of broad first amendment protections enjoyed by organizations operating within the United States. And despite periodic calls, particularly after mass shootings by white supremacists, to establish a domestic terrorism law, no singular statute now exists.
Germany’s main journalists’ union urged major US media to support journalists after Walt Disney-owned broadcaster ABC pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live! in a row over comments by the show’s host about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
According to Reuters, the head of Deutscher Journalisten Verband (DJV), Mika Beuster said in a statement on Thursday:
We are observing a rampant erosion of freedom of the press and freedom of expression in the US.
Broadcasters like ABC were wrong, he said, adding that journalists needed the full support of their employers:
Their servility towards [US President] Trump will not bring them peace, but will result in further pressure.
More celebrities have spoken up in defence of Jimmy Kimmel, whose late-night chatshow has been suspended over comments he made about the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk.
Actor Jamie Lee Curtis has joined Ben Stiller and Sophia Bush in expressing her opposition to the decision. Curtis posted a link on Instagram that showed an image of Kimmel and a quote he gave to Rolling Stone magazine in April, when he said: “I really don’t think anybody should be cancelled. I really don’t.”
Model and actor Christie Brinkley posted a photo of Kimmel and others on her Instagram, adding:
I love these guys. The laughter they provide is as important as the air we breathe. We must protect their and our first amendment rights!
Actor and comedian Wanda Sykes posted a video on Instagram saying of President Donald Trump: “He did end freedom of speech within his first year.”
Hacks actor Jean Smart asked:
What is happening to our country?
I am horrified at the cancellation of Jimmy Kimmel Live.
What Jimmy said was FREE speech, not hate speech. People seem to only want to protect free speech when it suits THEIR agenda.
Though I didn’t agree at ALL with Charlie Kirk; his shooting death sickened me; and should have sickened any decent human being.
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MSNBC host Chris Hayes is one of those mentioned in the previous post that has highlighted Donald Trump’s July Truth Social post in which he said “I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next”.
Writing on X, Hayes said:
Trump literally said Kimmel is next back in July! All of this is clearly pretextual. It’s like having us believe Lisa Cook got fired because of a mortgage application. Other people can pretend to be that stupid, but you don’t have to be.
In an earlier post, Hayes said:
The countries where comedians can’t mock the leader on late night TV are not really ones you want to live in.
Over on social media, some people have been pointing out that after the cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s show, Donald Trump wrote “I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next” on Truth Social.
In a post published on 18 July 2025, Trump wrote:
I absolutely love that Colbert’ got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings. I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. Has even less talent than Colbert! Greg Gutfeld is better than all of them combined, including the Moron on NBC who ruined the once great Tonight Show.
Chuck Schumer says Jimmy Kimmel show suspension should 'go to court' to protect democracy
Chuck Schumer, the Democratic Senate minority leader, has said the indefinite suspension of the Jimmy Kimmel Live! show by the ABC network should “go to court”.
In a post on X, Schumer wrote:
America is meant to be a bastion of free speech. Everybody across the political spectrum should be speaking out to stop what’s happening to Jimmy Kimmel.
This is about protecting democracy. This must go to court.
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Jimmy Kimmel is yet to issue any statement on the backlash over his comments about the Charlie Kirk shooting or on the topic of his late-night show being indefenitely suspended.
The Hollywood Reporter said a source had told the publication that Kimmel was prepared to address the backlash on Wednesday night’s show. According to the source, Kimmel planned to explain what he said and demonstrate how it was taken out of context but did not plan on apologising.
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In case you missed it earlier, here is a post on what exactly Jimmy Kimmel said about Charlie Kirk’s killing and the full article here:
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Hollywood stars have also backed Jimmy Kimmel, with actor Ben Stiller saying in a post on X ABC network’s move to indefinitely suspend Jimmy Kimmel Live! “isn’t right”, while actor Sophia Bush said the “first amendment doesn’t exist in America any more”.
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Summary
Here is a summary of the latest developments:
The Jimmy Kimmel Live! show has been indefinitely suspensded the after the late-night host made comments about the killing of Charlie Kirk. The ABC network, which Disney owns, announced on Wednesday night that it would remove Kimmel’s show from its schedule for the foreseeable future.
Politicians, media figures and free speech organisations expressed anger and alarm at the suspension of Kimmel’s late night show, warning that critics of Donald Trump were being systematically silenced. California governor Gavin Newsom said the Republican party “does not believe in free speech. They are censoring you in real time.”
Two of Hollywood’s biggest unions, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild, have voiced their support for Kimmel. WGA West wrote late on Wednesday: “As a guild, we stand united in opposition to anyone who uses their power and influence to silence the voices of writers, or anyone who speaks in dissent.” The American Federation of Musicians (AFM) strongly condemned the decision to take the late-night show off the air, describing it as “government overreach”.
Senator Elizabeth Warren joined a number of her Democratic colleagues in condemning the decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel’s programme, saying “giant media companies are enabling his [Donald Trump’s] authoritarianism.” Illinois governor JB Pritzker and senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii also weighed in on X with similar comments. Pritzker called it “an attack on free speech,” while Schatz said, “his was the govt using regulatory leverage to crush speech.”
Donald Trump called the move “great news for America” and congratulated ABC for its “courage” in a social media post.
There has been widespread glee among Trump officials and Maga followers after the news that Kimmel’s programme has been suspended. Nancy Mace, a Republican South Carolina representative who is running to be governor of South Carolina, celebrated in an impassioned post on X, claiming “we’re on a truth streak. President Trump is always right, YOU’RE FIRED”. Deputy White House chief of staff and cabinet secretary, Taylor Budowich, called it “consequence culture”.
ABC’s decision to suspend Kimmel came just minutes after one of the biggest owners of TV stations in the US, Nexstar Media, said it “strongly object[ed]” to his comments and would pre-empt any episodes of Jimmy Kimmel Live! set to air on the stations it owns across the country “for the foreseeable future”. Sinclair Broadcast Group, which owns more ABC stations than any other TV conglomerate including Nexstar, announced it would run a tribute to Kirk during Kimmel’s timeslot on Friday.
Before ABC pulled Kimmel, the Federal Communications Commission chair, Brendan Carr, had urged local broadcasters to stop airing the show, saying they were “running the possibility of fines or licensed revocation from the FCC” during an appearance on the right-wing commentator Benny Johnson’s podcast. On Wednesday night Carr thanked Nexstar “for doing the right thing” in a statement on social media.
A number of figures in US comedy have reacted with shock to the decision to pull Jimmy Kimmel from the air. Comedian Mike Birbiglia wrote that he had long defended comedians with views he didn’t agree with, adding: “If you’re a comedian and you don’t call out the insanity of pulling Kimmel off the air – don’t bother spouting off about free speech any more.” Comedian Michael Kosta, who occasionally hosts the Daily Show, wrote: “This is a serious moment in American history. TV networks MUST push back. This is complete BS.”
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In reaction to the news that Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show has been indefinitely suspended, the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) said that “Trump’s FCC identified speech it did not like and threatened ABC with extreme reprisals. This is state censorship.”
On X, the president of the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada, Tino Gagliardi, issued a statement in response to ABC taking Jimmy Kimmel Live!, which employs musicians from the American Federation of Musicians Local 47 in Los Angeles, off the air. In it he said:
This is not complicated: Trump’s FCC identified speech it did not like and theatened ABC with extreme reprisals. This is state censorship. It’s now happening in the United States of America, not some far-off country. It’s happening right here and right now.
This act by the Trump administration represents a direct attack on free speech and artistic expression. These are fundamental rights that we must protect in a free society. The American Federation of Musicians strongly condemns the decision to take Jimmy Kimmel Live! off the air.
We stand in solidarity with all those who will be without work because of government overreach.
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Writers Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild voice support for Jimmy Kimmel
Two of Hollywood’s biggest unions, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild, have voiced their support for Jimmy Kimmel after his show was suspended by ABC.
“The right to speak our minds and to disagree with each other – to disturb, even – is at the very heart of what it means to be a free people. It is not to be denied. Not by violence, not by the abuse of governmental power, nor by acts of corporate cowardice,” WGA West wrote late on Wednesday.
As a Guild, we stand united in opposition to anyone who uses their power and influence to silence the voices of writers, or anyone who speaks in dissent. If free speech applied only to ideas we like, we needn’t have bothered to write it into the constitution. What we have signed on to – painful as it may be at times – is the freeing agreement to disagree.”
“Shame on those in government who forget this founding truth.”
Meanwhile Sag-Aftra, which represents about 170,000 actors, journalists and many more professions across the media and entertainment industries, said it “condemns” Kimmel’s suspension.
Democracy thrives when diverse points of view are expressed.
The decision to suspend airing Jimmy Kimmel Live! is the type of suppression and retaliation that endangers everyone’s freedoms. Sag-Aftra stands with all media artists and defends their right to express their diverse points of view, and everyone’s right to hear them.
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Jimmy Kimmel and Donald Trump have a history of feuding and trading barbs.
When Kimmel hosted the 2024 Academy Awards, Trump posted online “Has there EVER been a WORSE HOST than Jimmy Kimmel at The Oscars. His opening was that of a less than average person trying too hard to be something which he is not, and never can be.”
Kimmel read the missive out during the ceremony and responded by saying he was “surprised” Trump was still awake, asking, “Isn’t it past your jail time?” in reference to the numerous cases that were then making their way through the courts.
In 2017, during Trump’s first term, Kimmel emerged as an unlikely leader in the fight to save Obamacare. He dedicated a number of monologues on his programme to pushing back against efforts to to tear up the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
He revealed in a tearful speech that his son, Billy, had been born with a heart defect and nearly died. Kimmel said that thanks to the top-of-the-line healthcare, his surgery was successful.
What did Jimmy Kimmel say about Charlie Kirk’s killing?
When announcing that it would pull Jimmy Kimmel’s programme, TV station operator Nexstar Communications Group called comments the comedian had made about Charlie Kirk’s death “offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse.”
Supporters of Donald Trump have praised the decision, with the White House deputy chief of staff calling it an example of “consequence culture.”
But what did Kimmel actually say that raised the ire of the president’s Maga movement?
During his Monday evening monologue, Kimmel suggested Kirk’s alleged killer, Tyler Robinson, might have been a pro-Trump Republican.
“The Maga Gang [is] desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said.
It appears this was the comment that most angered Trump supporters and officials.
In an interview earlier on Wednesday, the Trump-appointed head of the US media regulator said it appeared to be a “concerted effort to try to lie to the American people.”
Jimmy Kimmel also mentioned reaction to the death of Kirk on his Tuesday programme as well, saying “many in Maga-land are working very hard to capitalize on the murder of Charlie Kirk”.
Referencing vice-president JD Vance’s comment while guest-hosting Kirk’s podcast, Kimmel said “the president and his henchmen are doing their best to fan the flames, so they can I guess attack people on the dangerous left.”
Suspension of Jimmy Kimmel show sparks shock and fears for free speech
Free speech groups have reacted with alarm to the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s programme, with one calling it a “new McCarthyism.”
Truth Wins Out (TWO), an anti-extremism nonprofit said it was part of a “dangerous right‑wing ‘Cancel Crusade’ that has weaponized outrage to silence dissent and intimidate media outlets.”
If this dire situation continues, the only people left on the air will be Baghdad Bob and that anchorwoman in North Korea. This is a new McCarthyism that has expanded the boundaries of ‘woke’ to once unimaginable dimensions. It is chilling the free press and punishing truth‑tellers.”
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression has said that the ABC network “caved” to pressure from the US government.
The timing of ABC’s decision, on the heels of the FCC chairman’s pledge to the network to “do this the easy way or the hard way,” tells the whole story. Another media outlet withered under government pressure, ensuring that the administration will continue to extort and exact retribution on broadcasters and publishers who criticize it.”
In a statement, the advocacy group went on to say that the US “cannot be a country where late night talk show hosts serve at the pleasure of the president. But until institutions grow a backbone and learn to resist government pressure, that is the country we are.”
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Earlier on Wednesday, the chair of the US media regulator, Brendan Carr, appeared on a rightwing podcast and threatened broadcasters’ licenses if action was not taken against Jimmy Kimmel.
In the interview with Benny Johnson, Carr suggested suspending Kimmel could be an appropriate action from ABC.
Carr was responding to comments from Kimmel on Monday, in which he said that “we hit some new lows over the weekend with the Maga gang desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”
Carr called Kimmel’s comments an attempt to “play into a narrative that this was somehow a Maga or Republican motivated person.”
After ABC’s announcement hours later, Johnson boasted online that it was his interview with Carr that had led to Kimmel’s suspension. “It’s called soft power,” he said. “The Left uses it all the time. Thanks to President Trump, the Right has learned how to wield power as well.”
There has been widespread glee among Trump officials and Maga followers to the news that Jimmy Kimmel’s programme has beens suspended.
Nancy Mace, a Republican South Carolina representative who is running to be governor of South Carolina, celebrated in an impassioned post on X, claiming “we’re on a truth streak. President Trump is always right, YOU’RE FIRED”.
The deputy White House chief of staff and cabinet secretary, Taylor Budowich, called it “consequence culture”.
Normal, common sense Americans are no longer taking the bullshit and companies like ABC are finally willing to do the right and reasonable thing.”
Rightwing commentator Megyn Kelly said of Kimmel’s suspension “MAGA has f&cking HAD IT. We are ANGRY. We are INCENSED”.
Commentator Matt Walsh said Kimmel “deserves to be fired”.
These are the repercussions that conservatives have been experiencing for years for infractions not nearly as egregious.”
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Senator Elizabeth Warren has joined a number of her Democratic colleagues in condemning the decisions to suspend Jimmy Kimmel’s programme, saying “giant media companies are enabling his authoritarianism.”
First Colbert, now Kimmel. Last-minute settlements, secret side deals, multi-billion dollar mergers pending Donald Trump’s approval. Trump silencing free speech stifles our democracy. It sure looks like giant media companies are enabling his authoritarianism.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii also weighed in on X with similar comments. Pritzker called it “an attack on free speech,” while Schatz said, “his was the govt using regulatory leverage to crush speech.”
“This is censorship in action,” said Senator Ed Markey.
FCC chair threatens ABC and Disney over Kimmel’s comments. Hours later, he’s off air. It’s dangerous and unconstitutional. The message to every media company is clear: Adopt the Maga line or the Federal Censorship Commission will come after you.”
Updated
The stunning decision on Wednesday to suspend one of the United States’ most popular and influential late-night shows has come as Donald Trump and his allies have threatened to crack down on criticism of Charlie Kirk, the rightwing activist killed last week.
Jimmy Kimmel’s show was taken off the air “indefinitely” after the host was criticised for comments about the motives behind the killing Kirk and the president’s reaction to the event.
The move was immediately welcomed by Trump, who hailed it as “Great News for America.”
The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED. Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done.”
Sinclair Broadcast Group, which owns or operates dozens of local ABC stations across the US, has said it will replace Kimmel’s programme on Friday with a tribute to Charlie Kirk.
In a statement posted online, Sinclair praised the Federal Communications Commission chair, Brendan Carr, for threatening the licenses of stations that defended Kimmel’s right to free speech, and called the comic’s remarks “inappropriate and deeply insensitive”.
The company owns ABC affiliates in dozens of cities, including: Washington DC; St Louis, Missouri; Portland, Oregon; Seattle, Washington and Tulsa, Oklahoma.
It pledged to keep Kimmel’s show off its stations “until formal discussions are held with ABC regarding the network’s commitment to professionalism and accountability.”
Opening summary
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the latest news in the US amid the fallout from the indefinite suspension of the Jimmy Kimmel Live! show after the late-night host’s comments about the killing of Charlie Kirk. The ABC network, which Disney owns, announced on Wednesday night that it would remove Kimmel’s show from its schedule for the foreseeable future.
Here is a summary of the latest developements:
Politicians, media figures and free speech organisations expressed anger and alarm at the suspension of Kimmel’s late night show, warning that critics of Donald Trump were being systematically silenced. California governor Gavin Newsom said the Republican party “does not believe in free speech. They are censoring you in real time.”
Donald Trump called the move “great news for America” and congratulated ABC for its “courage” in a social media post.
ABC’s decision to suspend Kimmel came just minutes after one of the biggest owners of TV stations in the US, Nexstar Media, said it “strongly object[ed]” to his comments and would preempt any episodes of Jimmy Kimmel Live! set to air on the stations it owns across the country “for the foreseeable future”. Sinclair Broadcast Group, which owns more ABC stations than any other TV conglomerate including Nexstar, announced it would run a tribute to Kirk during Kimmel’s timeslot on Friday.
Before ABC pulled Kimmel, the Federal Communications Commission chair, Brendan Carr, had urged local broadcasters to stop airing the show, saying they were “running the possibility of fines or licensed revocation from the FCC” during an appearance on the rightwing commentator Benny Johnson’s podcast. On Wednesday night Carr thanked Nexstar “for doing the right thing” in a statement on social media.
A number of figures in US comedy have reacted with shock to the decision to pull Jimmy Kimmel from the air. Comedian Mike Birbiglia wrote that he had long defended comedians with views he didn’t agree with, adding: “If you’re a comedian and you don’t call out the insanity of pulling Kimmel off the air – don’t bother spouting off about free speech anymore.” Comedian Michael Kosta, who occasionally hosts the Daily Show, wrote: “This is a serious moment in American history. TV networks MUST push back. This is complete BS.”
