CNN anchor Abby Phillip pressed conservative pundit Scott Jennings on the issue of free speech during a heated debate on Wednesday.
The panel on CNN’s “NewsNight with Abby Phillip” debated ABC’s decision to pull late-night host Jimmy Kimmel from the air following comments he made about the killing of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk. ABC’s decision came hours after FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, an appointee of President Donald Trump, threatened the network over Kimmel’s comments.
Jeff Jarvis, a professor of journalism, argued that Kimmel’s suspension shows how the Trump administration is trying to “intimidate” the media, pointing to the president’s $15 billion lawsuit against The New York Times.
“This is the power of the government brought down on speech, on the press,” Jarvis said on CNN, prompting a rebuttal from Jennings.
“Maybe it’s just the power of someone in the government forcing a little self-reflection in these media companies for what they’ve been doing in the way they’ve been operating,” Jennings responded.
This led Phillip to question whether Jennings believed in free speech.
“Scott, do you believe in free speech or not?” Phillip asked, to which he responded, “Of course I do.”
She then asked Scott Walker, the president of the conservative group Young America’s Foundation, if he believed in free speech.
“I totally agree with that. But I don’t believe that these election officials, like myself or others can say, just go ahead, talk, I’m not going to push back on you. That’s outrageous,” Walker said.
This prompted some pushback from Phillip.
“Do you understand that the threat of the president suing you for saying things that they don’t like and the threat of the government preventing you from conducting businesses is a threat on free speech? Do you understand that that’s a threat?” she asked.
The two continued to go back and forth before Jarvis jumped back in.
“It’s amazing how you’re acting how Trump is powerless. He’s just out there saying a few things…He’s using his power as a threat,” Jarvis argued.
A number of critics have denounced ABC”s decision to pull Kimmel off the air, arguing that Carr’s threats to ABC earlier that day infringed on Kimmel’s freedom of speech.
At the center of the controversy are Kimmel’s comments from Monday’s show, where he suggested that Kirk’s alleged killer, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, could have been a MAGA Republican.
“The MAGA Gang (is) 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,” Kimmel said. “In between the finger-pointing, there was grieving.”
ABC’s decision to suspend Kimmel’s show also came after Nexstar Communications Group said it would preempt the show indefinitely starting on Wednesday. Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar’s broadcasting division, called Kimmel’s comments “offensive and insensitive” in a statement.
Both Disney and Nexstar have FCC business ahead of them. Disney is seeking regulatory approval for ESPN’s acquisition of the NFL Network and Nexstar needs the Trump administration go-ahead to complete its $6.2 billion purchase of broadcast rival Tegna.
For both companies, reinstating Kimmel after a suspension would risk the ire of Trump, who has already claimed that the show has been canceled.