UPDATE: After over 100,000 Common Cause members spoke out, Disney and ABC brought Jimmy Kimmel’s show back on the air! Sinclair and Nexstar tried to pre-empt Kimmel’s show too – but public outrage made them quickly backtrack.

These media giants found out the hard way that doing Trump’s censorship dirty work for him doesn’t pay.

Together, we voted with our pocketbooks and remote controls, making it clear to Disney, ABC, Sinclair, and Nexstar that the customers they rely on want them to defend our First Amendment – not help Trump chip away at it. And it worked. This is a huge win for our movement. It’s proof that people power can take on Trump’s intimidation and lies – and win.

Because of your voices, Jimmy Kimmel is back on the air, corporate media is on notice, and we’ve shown Trump and his allies that free speech still has defenders willing to speak out.

On September 17th, ABC and its parent company Disney pulled Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show off the air “indefinitely.”

Why? Hours before, Trump’s FCC chair, Brendan Carr, said he didn’t like what Kimmel said on the air and that “we can do this the easy way or the hard way.” 

It’s just the latest Trump Administration attack on free speech – and Disney immediately caved, probably because Nexstar, the largest owner of ABC stations in the country, has millions on the line right now as they await Trump’s approval for a merger deal to grow even bigger.

By pulling Kimmel off the air, they’ve certainly gained some favor with the White House: Trump celebrated the decision, calling it “Great News for America” on social media.

This isn’t about one TV show or one comedian. It’s about the future of our democracy. Time and time again that Trump or his cronies have applied pressure, corporate media giants like Disney have rolled over to protect their profits. 

And every time they give in, they send a chilling message to journalists, researchers, and even late-night comedians, that if you criticize Trump, you’re out.

That’s why we’re launching our Turn Off Disney campaign, and we need you to join.

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On Wednesday, Carr said that Kimmel’s words on the air had given him a strong case for action against ABC and Disney. Then, just hours later, Disney executives Robert Iger and Dana Walden made the final call to pull Kimmel from the air until further notice.

Why did Disney executives cave to Carr and the FCC so quickly? We don’t know, but we can tell you this:  Nexstar, the largest owner of ABC stations in the country, has millions on the line right now as they await Trump’s approval for a merger deal to grow even bigger.

Kimmel isn’t even the first late-night host silenced to protect corporate profits — this summer, CBS pulled the plug on Stephen Colbert’s show as its parent company also courted approval for a massive merger. 

These aren’t isolated incidents – they’re part of a bigger authoritarian crackdown on free speech. Trump and his allies have:

• Threatened to jail peaceful protestors;
• Defunded PBS and NPR.
• Sued independent media outlets into silence.
• Pressured corporate media into doing his bidding.

And too often, the media companies that should be standing up for their journalists have instead sacrificed them to protect their bottom line.

Where We Are Now

Already, over 85,000 Common Cause members have signed our petition calling on media companies to stand up to Trump’s threats. You can join them here.

But it’s not enough. Disney and ABC won’t stop unless they feel our pressure on their profits.

Why This Matters

This is bigger than Jimmy Kimmel.

When Trump’s government threatens critics with retaliation and corporations go along, that’s not democracy. That’s authoritarianism.

The First Amendment guarantees  free speech, and an independent press that can expose corruption, hold leaders accountable, and inform the public. Without it, democracy crumbles.

But if millions of us act together, we can send Disney a clear message: Stand up to Trump. Defend free speech. Put democracy before profits.

How You Can Help

Until Disney reinstates Jimmy Kimmel’s show and promises to fight government pressure instead of caving to it, here are ways that you can take action: