 |
| Tucker Carlson |
Conservative podcaster Tucker Carlson last week cautioned that the Trump administration’s efforts to silence critics of activist Charlie Kirk, following his assassination in Utah, threaten free-speech rights.
“I hope the turmoil after his murder isn’t used to push hate speech laws in this country,” Carlson said on a special episode of his podcast.
Other conservatives echoed these concerns, criticizing attempts to punish those mocking Kirk’s death or opposing his hardline views. In Tampa, WFLA’s Ryan Gorman called out FCC Chair Brendan Carr for threatening ABC over Jimmy Kimmel’s comments on the Republican response to Kirk’s death, prompting ABC to pull Kimmel’s show indefinitely.
The Wall Street Journal’s conservative editorial board also criticized Carr’s threats, stating in a Sept. 18 editorial that Kimmel’s remarks, while objectionable, shouldn’t justify government censorship. “The pressure on Disney looks like cancel culture from the right,” it noted.
Free-speech advocates see the campaign against Kirk’s critics as a First Amendment threat, accusing conservatives of adopting the “cancel culture” they’ve long criticized Democrats for. Over 100 people, including teachers, professors, doctors, lawyers, first responders, journalists, and others, have faced firings, suspensions, or investigations for anti-Kirk social media posts, per a USA TODAY analysis.
Lee Rowland of the National Coalition Against Censorship called the administration’s pressure on ABC, which relies on FCC licenses, a “clear case of government coercion to suppress dissent.”
“Cancel culture appeals to all sides,” Rowland said. “People decry it when it targets their allies but embrace it to punish speech they dislike, often justifying it as morally superior.”
On his Friday podcast, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) warned that conservatives risk future censorship if the government controls speech. While celebrating Jimmy Kimmel’s removal from ABC, Cruz criticized the comedian’s “bitter and nasty” remarks and false claims about Charlie Kirk after Trump’s return to the presidency. However, he cautioned against using FCC power to punish speech, warning it sets a dangerous precedent.
“When a Democrat wins the White House again, they’ll use this power ruthlessly to silence us,” Cruz said. “That’s dangerous.”
- Celebration of Accountability: Hosts uniformly hail the suspension as "consequences" for Kimmel's "vile" and "insensitive" remarks, replaying his monologue where he accused MAGA of "scoring political points" from Kirk's death. They argue it mischaracterized the shooter as right-wing, despite evidence of his left-leaning views.
- Calls for More Action: Many, like Hannity and Levin, demand revocations for other networks (e.g., NBC for Seth Meyers), tying it to Trump's post-election push against "97% negative" coverage. Beck and Hewitt note the irony, pointing out conservative resilience post-Kirk.
- Free Speech Nuance: While most dismiss censorship claims as "whining from snowflakes," Prager and Hewitt briefly address hypocrisy, arguing the "public interest" standard (FCC mandate) justifies it for over-the-air broadcasters but not podcasts.
Sentiment remains heated as of Sunday, with no signs of cooling amid ongoing FCC scrutiny.