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brendan carr
Trump Targets Another Late Night Comedian, Saying It's 'Probably Illegal' to Make Fun of Him
"You need to understand that he actually believes it is illegal to criticize him," wrote Sen. Chris Murphy.
Nov 02, 2025
After failing to use the government's might to bully Jimmy Kimmel off the air earlier this fall, President Donald Trump is once again threatening to bring the force of law down on comedians for the egregious crime of making fun of him.
This time, his target was NBC late-night host Seth Meyers, whom the president said, in a Truth Social post Saturday, "may be the least talented person to 'perform' live in the history of television."
On Thursday, the comedian hosted a segment mocking Trump's bizarre distaste for the electromagnetic catapults aboard Navy ships, which the president said he may sign an executive order to replace with older (and less efficient) steam-powered ones.
Trump did not take kindly to Meyers' barbs: "On and on he went, a truly deranged lunatic. Why does NBC waste its time and money on a guy like this??? - NO TALENT, NO RATINGS, 100% ANTI TRUMP, WHICH IS PROBABLY ILLEGAL!!!"
It is, of course, not "illegal" for a late-night comedian, or any other news reporter or commentator, for that matter, to be "anti-Trump." But it's not the first time the president has made such a suggestion. Amid the backlash against Kimmel's firing in September, Trump asserted that networks that give him "bad publicity or press" should have their licenses taken away.
"I read someplace that the networks were 97% against me... I mean, they’re getting a license, I would think maybe their license should be taken away,” Trump said. "All they do is hit Trump. They’re licensed. They’re not allowed to do that.”
His FCC director, Brendan Carr, used a similar logic to justify his pressure campaign to get Kimmel booted by ABC, which he said could be punished for airing what he determined was "distorted” content.
Before Kimmel, Carr suggested in April that Comcast may be violating its broadcast licenses after MSNBC declined to air a White House press briefing in which the administration defended its wrongful deportation of Salvadoran immigrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia.
"You need to understand that he actually believes it is illegal to criticize him," wrote Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on social media following Trump's tirade against Meyers. "Why? Because Trump believes he—not the people—decides the law. This is why we are in the middle of, not on the verge of, a totalitarian takeover."
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Jane Fonda Leads Reboot of Father's McCarthy-Era Free Speech Initiative
“They’re betting on our fear and our silence,” Fonda said. “But our industry—and artists around the world—have a long history of refusing to be silenced, even in the darkest times.”
Oct 01, 2025
As the US descends into authoritarianism under President Donald Trump and Republicans, hundreds of celebrities led by actor and progressive activist Jane Fonda on Wednesday revived a free speech initiative originally launched by Hollywood stars including her father during the right-wing repression of the post-World War II McCarthy era.
Fonda and over 550 celebrities rebooted the Committee for the First Amendment, which was first formed in 1947 by a bevy of actors including Henry Fonda in response to hearings held by the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) and blacklisting of actual and suspected communists throughout US society, including Hollywood.
“The federal government is once again engaged in a coordinated campaign to silence critics in the government, the media, the judiciary, academia, and the entertainment industry,” the renewed committee said in a statement. “We refuse to stand by and let that happen.”
According to NPR:
Other members of the newly re-formed committee include filmmakers Spike Lee, Barry Jenkins, J.J. Abrams, Patty Jenkins, Aaron Sorkin, and Judd Apatow; TV show creator Quinta Brunson; musicians Barbra Streisand, John Legend, Janelle Monáe, Gracie Abrams, and Billie Eilish; comedians Tiffany Haddish and Nikki Glaser; as well as actors Mark Ruffalo, Anne Hathaway, Kerry Washington, Pedro Pascal, Natalie Portman, Viola Davis, and Ben Stiller. Another signatory is actor Fran Drescher, who last month ended a term as the president of the SAG-AFTRA union.
"This committee was initially created during the McCarthy era, a dark time when the federal government repressed and persecuted American citizens for their political beliefs," the initiative's founders wrote. "They targeted elected officials, government employees, academics, and artists. They were blacklisted, harassed, silenced, and even imprisoned."
"The McCarthy era ended when Americans from across the political spectrum finally came together and stood up for the principles in the Constitution against the forces of repression," they added. "Those forces have returned. And it is our turn to stand together in defense of our constitutional rights."
Fonda’s committee revival comes after Jimmy Kimmel's late-night talk show was temporarily removed from ABC's airwaves earlier this month following pressure form Brendan Carr, Trump’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chief, over a monologue by the comedian about far-right podcaster Charlie Kirk’s accused assassin. Kimmel's show returned amid massive public backlash.
Fonda has more than 60 years of political activism under her belt, starting with the civil rights and anti-Vietnam War movemements and continuing through Fire Drill Fridays, #StopLine3, and the Jane Fonda Climate PAC in more recent years.
"I'm 87 years old. I've seen war, repression, protest, and backlash. I've been celebrated, and I've been branded an enemy of the state," Fonda said in a letter inviting people to join the committee.
"But I can tell you this: This is the most frightening moment of my life," she continued. "When I feel scared, I look to history. I wish there were a secret playbook with all the answers—but there never has been. The only thing that has ever worked—time and time again—is solidarity: binding together, finding bravery in numbers too big to ignore, and standing up for one another."
“They’re betting on our fear and our silence,” Fonda added without identifying anyone by name. “But our industry—and artists around the world—have a long history of refusing to be silenced, even in the darkest times.”
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Free Speech Defenders Demand FCC Chair Carr 'Resign Immediately'
"You know exactly how chilling and unconstitutional your statements have been," the coalition wrote.
Sep 30, 2025
Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel is back on air, but a coalition of free speech supporters on Tuesday called for FCC Chair Brendan Carr's resignation over his role in the comedian's temporary suspension earlier this month.
"The chair of the Federal Communications Commission should be the nation's defender of press freedom," said Robert Weissman, co-president of the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen, in a statement. "Instead, FCC Chair Brendan Carr has fashioned himself into a MAGA-waving, free-speech-be-damned bully, ready to abuse his power to take down the president's opponents."
Public Citizen and Free Press led dozens of pro-democracy organizations that released a letter to Carr on Tuesday morning during the FCC's monthly meeting, which also drew protesters demanding that Carr resign over the Kimmel incident.
As the letter details, during a podcast appearance, Carr "made a barely veiled threat" against Disney-owned ABC in response to Kimmel's remarks about President Donald Trump and the assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk. Nexstar and Sinclair, which control over 60 ABC affiliates, swiftly announced they would not air "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Then, the network suspended Kimmel indefinitely. Carr, the letter notes, "responded gleefully to these developments, sending celebratory GIFs to reporters."
Within days, as free speech advocates urged consumers nationwide to cancel their Disney subscriptions and vacations, Kimmel returned to his show. Nexstar and Sinclair initially pledged to still preempt his show, but they quickly changed course, too. Still, amid the Trump administration's broader assault on First Amendment rights, critics of Carr want accountability.
The coalition behind the letter to Carr includes Accountable. US, Fight for the Future, Freedom of the Press Foundation, Indivisible, MoveOn, Our Revolution, Progressive Democrats of America, Revolving Door Project, RootsAction, Stand Up America, and more.
What's happening at the FCC today?Free Press' Vanessa Maria Graber joins Candace and Julio to chat FCC 101."Direct action gets the goods!" - @newsjawn.bsky.social Join us on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMZ8...
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— Free Press (@freepress.bsky.social) September 30, 2025 at 9:59 AM
"As someone who has repeatedly inveighed against the dangers of government censorship and who has specifically defended the importance of political satire, you know exactly how chilling and unconstitutional your statements have been," the 41 groups wrote.
"Yet since being made chairman of the FCC by Donald Trump and even before his election last year, you have repeatedly threatened newsrooms and interfered with broadcasters and other media outlets, based on meritless complaints about their journalistic practices and the content these companies produce," the coalition continued.
"To mitigate the damage you have caused, we urge you to retract and apologize for your remarks and clarify that FCC regulatory decisions are not impacted by the views expressed by broadcasters or on their programs," the coalition concluded. "But those actions by themselves will not be enough. Your constitutional transgression cannot be adequately remedied simply with an apology. You should resign immediately."
Highlighting the stakes of the Trump appointee remaining in power, Craig Aaron, co-CEO of Free Press, noted that "Kimmel may be back on the air, but Nexstar and Sinclair—the same giant conglomerates who refused to air Kimmel's show—have megadeals still pending before Carr's FCC and long-standing regulations they are trying to eliminate."
"Carr should not be the one making these decisions," Aaron stressed. "He should resign to prevent any further damage to free speech, press freedom, and the rule of law."
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