Former U.S. president Barack Obama laid into the Trump administration Thursday following ABC’s decision to “indefinitely” suspend comedian Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show.
The 64-year-old former head of state said suspending Kimmel over his comments about slain political commentator Charlie Kirk amounted to “government coercion,” accusing the Trump administration of playing fast and loose with the First Amendment, which protects the right to free speech in America.
In his X post, Obama added that “media companies need to start standing up rather than capitulating to” the Trump administration.
The White House and ABC did not immediately respond to Fortune’s requests for comment.
President Trump, meanwhile, praised ABC’s actions and incorrectly stated Kimmel’s show had been canceled in a Truth Social post Wednesday. Trump added that there were only two late-night hosts left in his view, both operating on NBC: Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers.
