Cancel Fascism, Reinstate Kimmel

Trump’s FCC is Coming for Late Night TV. Here’s how you can defend free speech.

  • STATE OF PLAY

    • STATE OF PLAY:

    Every day under this administration makes it clearer: nobody is safe from creeping fascism, not even late-night TV. Trump and his cronies are moving at breakneck speed to consolidate power, weaponizing the full force of the federal government to crush dissent, while bending media companies, business leaders, universities, and other institutions to his will.

    The silencing of Jimmy Kimmel is just one example of how our institutions, driven by shortsighted self-interest, are caving to authoritarian pressure instead of standing up to it. Here’s how we got here:

    • December 2024: ABC/Disney caves to a frivolous defamation lawsuit by Trump, paying $15 million to his presidential library rather than going to court to defend the freedom of the press.
    • July 17: CBS announces that it will cancel the late-night show of Trump critic Stephen Colbert. The move comes as CBS’s parent company, Paramount, awaits FCC approval of an $8 billion merger.
    • July 18: Trump takes to Truth Social to post that “Jimmy Kimmel is next.”
    • July 24: The FCC approves Paramount’s merger just one week after Colbert’s cancellation.
    • September 10: Charlie Kirk is murdered. Trump administration officials and other Republican leaders began calling for a massive crackdown on the left.
    • September 15: In his show’s opening monologue, Kimmel notes that Trump and his allies are “desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”
    • September 17:
      • Morning: In an interview on a far-right podcast, FCC Chair Brendan Carr openly threatens to revoke the broadcast license of any stations airing Kimmel’s show.
      • Afternoon: Within hours of Carr’s threat, Nexstar Media Group—a TV conglomerate that (like Paramount) wants FCC approval of a merger—says its local ABC affiliates will not air Kimmel's show. Another TV conglomerate with FCC business pending, Sinclair Media Group, follows suit rapidly.
      • Evening: ABC/Disney announces that they are pulling Kimmel's show off the air entirely.

    Bob Iger’s (Disney’s CEO) cowardice is detrimental not only to Disney but to democracy itself. In the 1940s, Disney made anti-fascist cartoons. Eighty years later, Iger is tarnishing that legacy, caving to Trump’s goons and turning a great American company into a tool for authoritarian power. Instead of defending free speech, he’s rolling over to let an unpopular president silence dissent and trample our rights.

    But appeasing a tyrant never works; it only invites more tyranny. If ABC/Disney refuses to reverse its decision, this regime will be emboldened to go further, targeting comedy, opinion, and even news it doesn’t like. None of us will be safe to dissent. None of us will be free to speak our minds.

    We refuse to be silent. While corporate elites may cower in fear or chase profit, we will raise our voices and make it clear: we will not cooperate with this authoritarian power grab.

  • HOW SHOULD WE FIGHT BACK?

    • HOW SHOULD WE FIGHT BACK?

    Our goal is to pressure ABC/Disney to reverse their capitulation, reinstate Jimmy Kimmel, commit to defending First Amendment rights in the face of authoritarian intimidation, and refrain from caving to political pressure from the administration.

    Achieving that will take a multi-front strategy:

    1. Mass Popular Defiance
    We need visible, contagious defiance. That means boycotts of ABC programming, canceled Disney+ subscriptions, and refusing to give our dollars to corporations that cave to fascism. We should utilize high-profile platforms (such as Monday Night Football on ESPN) as opportunities to send a clear and disruptive message that millions are watching and rejecting their cowardice.

    2. Direct Pressure on ABC and Affiliates
    ABC must hear from us every single day. Their comment forms, customer service lines, and press inboxes should be flooded. We’ve already seen Indivisibles in Burbank, CA, take to the streets at a local affiliate—we need more of that everywhere. Affiliates that bowed to pressure should face relentless protest until they reverse course, and affiliates still standing should be supported in resisting Carr’s intimidation.

    3. Encourage Defections
    This fight won’t be won by the public alone. We need courageous insiders. Celebrities with ties to ABC/Disney must speak out on their shows and social platforms. Corporate partners must refuse to cooperate with censorship. Disney Board members must defend the First Amendment rather than bow to Trump’s cronies. Competitors should condemn this enabling of the administration's attempt to outright violate free speech, and even step up to host Kimmel’s program if ABC refuses to.

    4. Building a Broader Movement
    We must make clear that this is about drawing the line against authoritarian power grabs that, if left unchecked, will expand to comedy, commentary, news, and beyond. The admin has already been targeting all forms of institutions and individuals, including academics, students, universities, activists, and non-profits. It has proven that it will stop at nothing to maintain power and silence dissent. Every action we take should invite more people to join in, making this defiance not just powerful but unstoppable.

  • TAKE THE ACTIONS

    • TAKE THE ACTIONS 

    Congressional Pressure 

    Contact your Representative by phone and email to demand an investigation into government censorship. Carr’s threats may violate the First Amendment and other federal laws, but Republicans blocked an attempt to subpoena Carr in the House. Turn the heat up and demand that Carr, ABC/Disney execs, and their partners be hauled before Congress to testify under oath.

    CALL CONGRESS TO DEMAND INVESTIGATIONS

    EMAIL CONGRESS TO DEMAND INVESTIGATIONS

    Cancel Fascism, Boycott ABC/Disney

    We have to hit them where it hurts, and one thing we know for sure? Money talks, and right now it’s our most powerful tool. That’s why we’re urging people nationwide to use their economic power to pressure ABC/Disney into reversing course on this shameful capitulation to Trump.

    Until ABC and Disney commit to standing up for our First Amendment and reinstating Jimmy Kimmel Live!, cancel your Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ subscriptions. Then be loud about it: share your cancellation on social media with the hashtag #BoycottDisneyABC so others can see, follow, and amplify the movement. We have a social media toolkit that makes it super easy! 

    Links to the cancellation instructions for each platform:

    Please note that you may need to take additional steps if your subscription is part of a bundle with your cable subscription, cell phone plan, or other promotion.

    Flood their lines! 

    If you’re canceling Disney services, postponing a vacation to a Disney theme park, or taking some other action in response to their corporate cravenness, let them know! 

    Contact:

    Public Protest

    We’ve already seen dozens of locally led events pop up outside ABC/Disney offices and studios across the country. If possible, attend one of these events and make your voice heard. Would you like to host or attend an event? Check out our Mobilize page.

    We shouldn’t stop at offices and studios. Disney has some of the most visible, consumer-facing locations in the country: Disney World in Florida, Disneyland in California, Disney-branded cruise ships, and ESPN sporting events. Each of these offers a high-profile stage to show public defiance and put pressure on ABC/Disney to reverse course.

    New York

    ABC Corporate Headquarters

    • 77 West 66th Street, New York, NY 10023

    Robert A. Iger Building, 7 Hudson Square

    • 137 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013

    Nexstar Corporate Offices

    • 1301 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019

    Illinois

    Nexstar Corporate Offices

    • 303 East Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60601

    California

    Disney Corporate Offices

    • 1200 Grand Central Ave, Glendale, CA 91201

    Disney Animation Building & ABC TV Productions

    • 2100 W Riverside Dr, Burbank, CA 91506
    • 2300 W Riverside Dr, Burbank, CA 91506

    Use the links here to identify the closest affiliate to you.

    A note on employees and their unions at Disney/ABC:

    We know there are, and will be, workers who choose to risk their jobs or livelihoods to take a political stand. Their courage deserves our full embrace and support. For others, such action may not be immediately possible. It’s on us to create the conditions that make bravery safer and more sustainable.

    We must remember: rank-and-file workers are not the same as corporate executives. They may not share the same political views or decisions as their management, and they face significantly greater risks when speaking out or resisting. Please remember, our fight is with Disney/ABC’s leadership, who are enabling the administration's authoritarian power grabs and silencing dissent, not with the workers who keep these companies running.

    Legal Disclaimer

    Event Locations

    All events should be hosted on public property or in public spaces, such as streets, sidewalks, etc. Your event should not block access to the building or prevent people from doing their job. Private property owners, which include businesses, can set rules for speech on their property, and they can prohibit you from being on their property. If you are gathering on private property without the property owner's permission, this may be considered trespassing, and you may be asked to leave by someone authorized by the property owner, such as a security guard at an ABC/Disney office. Please follow all state and local guidelines around gathering on public and private property.

    Our Commitment to Non-Violence

    A core principle behind all Indivisible events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values. If you are hosting your own event, we expect hosts to ensure all participants in your event uphold this commitment. Weapons of any kind, including those legally permitted, should not be brought to events. All events should be held in public spaces or on public property. We recommend all participants review our safety and security resource before your event: https://indivisi.org/safety.