Letterman checks in on Kimmel after his suspension, calling out censorship and Trump’s comments.
David Letterman has spoken out about Jimmy Kimmel’s reaction to his recent suspension, following the ABC host’s controversial comments on Charlie Kirk’s death.
Speaking at the Atlantic Festival in New York, Letterman, 78, shared that Kimmel has been “sitting up in bed taking nourishment” and reassured fans he “is going to be fine.” Letterman also took aim at what he called a growing culture of censorship in US media, describing the suspension as “ridiculous” and a symptom of “someone who’s an authoritarian, maybe a dictatorship.”
Letterman highlighted the contrast with his own career, noting that through six US presidencies, his show could skewer politicians without ever being pulled from air. “Beating up on these people, rightly or wrongly… not once were we squeezed by anyone from any governmental agency,” he said.
The suspension came after Nexstar Media, one of the largest US TV station owners, announced it would not broadcast Jimmy Kimmel Live following the host’s remarks about Kirk’s alleged killer. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump criticised Kimmel on social media, calling him “not a talented individual” with “bad ratings.”
Hollywood stars and public figures, including Barack Obama, have rallied to Kimmel’s defence. Obama wrote that the suspension is “precisely the kind of government coercion that the First Amendment was designed to prevent,” urging media companies to resist such pressure.
As the debate over free speech and media censorship heats up, Letterman’s words serve as a reminder of the delicate line comedy walks when politics and tragedy collide.
