The White House is pushing back hard against Barack Obama after the former president suggested President Donald Trump’s administration was behind Jimmy Kimmel being taken off the air.
Obama claimed the move was political and accused Trump of escalating “cancel culture” to a “new and dangerous level.” He linked to a Vox article that alleged Kimmel was suspended because Trump “didn’t like what he had to say.”
Karoline Leavitt, the White House Press Secretary, dismissed Obama’s comments. “With all due respect to former President Obama, he has no idea what he is talking about,” Leavitt told Fox News.
She made it clear that the White House had no involvement. “The decision to fire Jimmy Kimmel and to cancel his show came from executives at ABC. That has now been reported.”
ABC suspended Kimmel after comments he made about Charlie Kirk’s assassination. During his monologue, Kimmel suggested Kirk’s killer was a member of the “MAGA gang.”
The network’s decision followed pressure from Nexstar, a major broadcaster that carries “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on its affiliates. Nexstar announced it would no longer air the program after Kimmel’s remarks.
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr also weighed in, as the New York Post reported.
He told podcaster Benny Johnson that Kimmel’s comments may have violated FCC rules requiring licensed broadcasters to act “in the public interest.”
Leavitt said that Obama’s claims were false. “I can assure you it did not come from the White House and there was no pressure given from the president of the United States.”
She stressed that Trump was not even aware the suspension was happening. “How do I know that? Because I was with the president of the United States when this news broke in the United Kingdom,” Leavitt explained.
She said Trump’s focus at the time was on his official trip. “We were enjoying the beautiful and spectacular state visit that was put forth by the Royal Family and the prime minister of the UK, Keir Starmer.”
Leavitt recalled the moment she broke the news. “I actually brought this news to President Trump’s attention, he had no idea this was happening.”
The White House press secretary said ABC executives acted because Kimmel had crossed a line. “It was a decision that was made by ABC because Jimmy Kimmel chose to knowingly lie to his audience on his program about the death of a highly-respected man when our country is in a state of mourning.”
Obama had publicly supported Kimmel earlier in the week after the suspension. He accused conservatives of weaponizing cancellation against political critics.
The White House response shows how far apart the two presidents remain on issues of media and free speech. Obama sees political interference, while Trump’s team insists Kimmel’s actions caused his own downfall.
The controversy has left ABC facing backlash from both sides, as the debate over free expression, politics, and responsibility continues to heat up.
