Late-Night Hosts Colbert, Meyers, and Stewart Defend Kimmel & Free Speech

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We were very surprised to learn that *Jimmy Kimmel Live!* was suspended without a clear end date after Jimmy Kimmel commented on the death of Charlie Kirk and the reactions to it. It’s a late-night comedian’s job to offer commentary and critique current events and politics, so the show’s suspension felt like a significant overreaction. However, other late-night hosts are speaking out in support of Kimmel and defending free speech, criticizing the decision to punish him for his remarks. You can see Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers, and Jon Stewart’s immediate reactions and their concerns about the implications of this decision in the video below.

As a huge fan of political satire, I was thrilled to see Stephen Colbert revive his old *Colbert Report* character right after Jimmy Kimmel announced he was pausing his show. It was like stepping back in time! He fully embraced that pompous pundit persona, even starting with a dramatic “Hello, nation… Daddy’s home.” And he didn’t pull any punches. He basically said we’re in a free-speech crisis, sarcastically suggesting everyone just stop voicing opinions that might bother the president. He delivered the line, “Give up, America. Just give up and stop saying anything that might upset the president,” with such passion – and then followed it up with a deadpan, “If you think that’s a terrible idea, no you don’t.” It was classic Colbert, and you can check out the whole segment if you want.

CBS cancelled *The Late Show with Stephen Colbert* earlier this year. This happened soon after Colbert publicly accused Paramount Global, CBS’s parent company, of accepting a bribe. While CBS hasn’t given a clear reason for the cancellation, it makes us wonder if Colbert’s comments about Jimmy Kimmel will have any consequences.

Seth Meyers, also a late-night host, weighed in on the debate surrounding Jimmy Kimmel and free speech. On his show, Late Night with Seth Meyers, he stated that he and his team would continue creating their show with the same energy and honesty as always. He emphasized that this is a crucial time for our country and that defending free speech – protected by the First Amendment – is paramount. You can find a full video of Meyers’ comments below.

Jon Stewart, host of Comedy Central’s *The Daily Show*, unexpectedly appeared on a Thursday – he usually hosts on Mondays – to address the recent controversy involving Jimmy Kimmel. Stewart used satire during his commentary, avoiding naming Kimmel or anyone else involved. He jokingly announced that *The Daily Show* was now following all the rules, and then sarcastically described a situation where a government clearly oversteps its bounds with speech regulations, pretending to believe it’s a positive development. He quipped that some might see it as a power grab, but he personally thought it was wonderful.

With well-known late-night hosts – who have built their careers on playfully criticizing politicians from both sides for many years – now rallying around Jimmy Kimmel and the principle of free speech, it’s unclear what will happen next. Will these hosts be allowed to continue sharing their views, or could their shows be taken off the air? And if they are removed, what does that say about our ability to speak freely?

The controversy surrounding Jimmy Kimmel has drawn attention beyond late-night television. The Writer’s Guild of America (WGA) has also issued a statement, emphasizing their strong support for both Kimmel and his writers. The Guild firmly believes that everyone has the right to express their opinions, even those that are unpopular, and that suppressing free speech harms society as a whole. They reaffirmed their commitment to the principle of respectfully disagreeing with others, and stand in solidarity with Kimmel and his team.

It’s worth remembering that Kimmel is currently unemployed, and so is the entire team that worked on his TV show.

We’d really like some precedented times, please.

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2025-09-19 18:03