First Colbert, now Kimmel.

The head of the FCC just threatened to revoke ABC’s broadcast license because they didn’t like what Jimmy Kimmel said. ABC quickly folded and took Kimmel off the air.

Trump is using the government to stifle free speech — and it sure looks like giant media companies who have big mergers pending are enabling his authoritarianism.

Let’s be clear: This move will have ripple effects far beyond late-night television. It sends a chilling message that if our wannabe dictator-in-chief doesn’t like what you say, you could be silenced by corporate media companies all too willing to enable him.

This is part of a broader, alarming pattern. Pro-Trump billionaires currently own lots of corporate media. Elon Musk owns X, Mark Zuckerberg owns Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, Jeff Bezos owns the Washington Post, and David Ellison owns CBS/Paramount. And now, Trump is pressuring TikTok’s U.S. operations to be sold to more pro-Trump billionaires.

Meanwhile, Trump and the Republicans are undermining public media. They clawed back funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which powers essential outlets like PBS and NPR. This is part of an intentional strategy to silence critics and punish people who don’t toe the line.

No matter what your politics are, this is a five-alarm fire for free speech and the First Amendment. It’s not a question about whether you agree with Jimmy Kimmel or disagree with him. It wasn’t a matter of whether you aligned with Stephen Colbert.

Every single person — no matter our politics — should feel a chill down our spines when we see the government give a hard shove to someone they don’t like, and see a compliant company fold like a house of cards.

The government is trying to exercise censorship, plain and simple. This is a moment for every single one of us to speak out, and speak out loudly. Add your name to condemn this attack on free speech and our country’s First Amendment rights.

I’m going to stay on this, and keep speaking out until we get answers here.

Thanks for being a part of this,

Elizabeth