New York City mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani has decided to withdraw from a televised town hall scheduled with WABC News on September 25. His exit is a direct response to ABC’s recent suspension of “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”
Just last week, the network capitulated to pressures from Donald Trump’s Federal Communications Commission, temporarily sidelining “Jimmy Kimmel Live” after the late-night host made comments regarding the murder of Charlie Kirk. This suspension triggered widespread backlash from Hollywood luminaries, Democratic leaders, and even some conservative voices, such as Ted Cruz. Demonstrations sprang up against ABC’s parent company, Disney, in both New York and Los Angeles.
In defending free speech and protesting ABC’s actions, Mamdani expressed in a statement to amNY, which broke the news, “We simply cannot accept any capitulation to Donald Trump’s attacks on our fundamental freedoms. Now is the time for leadership that fights back with action, and collectively, we must use every tool at our disposal to send a message to Washington and corporate powers alike: our freedom of speech is not a bargaining chip.”
Mamdani made these statements during a news conference at Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms State Park on Roosevelt Island, a site that honors the president’s pivotal 1941 State of the Union address, which identified freedom of speech as one of the four cornerstones of democratic values in the United States.
The controversy ignited on Wednesday when Kimmel’s comments about Kirk’s murder, alongside a critique of Trump’s response, drew the ire of FCC chairman Brendan Carr. He subsequently threatened regulatory action against broadcasters airing what he deemed misleading remarks harmful to the public interest. Within hours, Nexstar and Sinclair, networks owning ABC affiliates, announced they would cease airing “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” prompting ABC to suspend the comedian indefinitely.
As reported by Variety on Friday, Kimmel and Disney are currently exploring options to negotiate a resolution that would restore the show to air, although no agreement has yet been reached. Meanwhile, Disney has continued to pay Kimmel’s staff during this work stoppage.
