Overview

• President Trump cheered ABC’s suspension of Jimmy Kimmel, drawing accusations from senior Democrats that he is waging war on free expression.
• The ACLU compared the administration’s approach to McCarthyism, alleging abuses of power to decide who may speak, write, or joke.
• Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Justice Department would pursue people for “hate speech” tied to the case, then clarified she meant threats of violence, as Senator Ted Cruz noted such speech is constitutionally protected.
• Conservative figures, including Tucker Carlson, urged civil disobedience if new limits on speech follow, reflecting broader right-wing backlash.
• Critics highlighted Trump’s August decree criminalizing flag burning, which conflicts with a 1989 Supreme Court ruling protecting the act, as Barack Obama warned the response reflects an escalated form of cancel culture.