Seth Meyers insists ‘we must all stand up’ for free speech after Jimmy Kimmel's suspension
WASHINGTON, DC: Seth Meyers isn’t staying silent. After ABC yanked 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' following outrage over Jimmy Kimmel’s comments about Charlie Kirk's suspected shooter, Meyers came to his fellow late-night host’s defense.
The comedian also made it clear that he has no intention of bowing to President Donald Trump, despite the current administration’s reported success in pressuring ABC to pull Kimmel's show.
Seth Meyers addresses growing threats to free speech
On the Thursday, September 18 episode of 'Late Night', Seth Meyers used his 'A Closer Look' segment to spotlight Donald Trump’s fraught relationship with the media and growing threats to free speech.
Opening with satire, Meyers joked, “His administration is pursuing a crackdown on free speech — and completely unrelated, I just want to say, before we get started here, that I’ve always admired and respected Mr Trump.”
As the audience laughed, he added, “I’ve always believed he was a visionary, innovator, a great president, and an even better golfer. And if you’ve ever seen me say anything negative about him, that’s just AI.”
Seth Meyers says it's a privilege and honor to call Jimmy Kimmel his 'friend'
But Seth Meyers soon shifted to a more serious tone. He praised Kimmel as both a friend and a fellow late-night host, saying, “It is a privilege and an honor to call Jimmy Kimmel my friend in the same way that it’s a privilege and honor to do this show every night.”
He then told viewers, “I wake up every day, I count my blessings that I live in a country that at least purports to value freedom of speech, and we’re gonna keep doing our show the way we’ve always done it: with enthusiasm and integrity."
Meyers called this a “big moment in our democracy” and urged everyone to defend free expression. He emphasized, “We must all stand up for the principles of free expression. There's a reason free speech is in the very First Amendment."
ABC suspends Jimmy Kimmel's show over remarks on Charlie Kirk suspect
Jimmy Kimmel claims "We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang 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" and "This is not how an adult… pic.twitter.com/KMhnskaYWD
— Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) September 16, 2025
On Wednesday, an ABC spokesperson confirmed that 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' would be pulled from the air indefinitely.
The network’s decision followed remarks Kimmel made during Monday's monologue about the fatal shooting of conservative activist Kirk, who was killed during a speaking event at Utah Valley University on September 10.
During the monologue, Kimmel criticized supporters of Trump, saying, “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang trying to characterize this kid who killed Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them.”
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It is worth noting that on September 10, Kimmel posted on social media, “Instead of the angry finger-pointing, can we just for one day agree that it is horrible and monstrous to shoot another human? On behalf of my family, we send love to the Kirks and to all the children, parents and innocents who fall victim to senseless gun violence."
