It is a widely known and accepted fact that networks like MSNBC, NBC, CNN, ABC, and CBS are highly critical of Donald Trump. However, recent developments have shown that ABC and CBS are the type of programs that will only fight to protect Americans, and even democracy itself, when it suits them. And then they will quickly turn their backs on us as soon as the President comes knocking. They gave away their most powerful asset: their voice, and showed the American public that their commitment to them was weak and that their own self – preservation was stronger. Their cowardice was seeping through the cracks of their perfectly coiffed image and was now on full display for Americans to see.
Addy Ell (11) expressed what she thought about news programs like ABC and CBS conceding to the authoritative power of the President.
“I feel as though media programs as big as ABC and CBS shouldn’t be controlled by any political power, including the president,” Ell said. “This would limit the bounds of free speech on their platforms by not allowing critiques of someone in political power, going against the constitutional definition of free speech and why it was implemented.”
The Late Show – July 2025
In July of 2025, Stephen Colbert announced that not only his show, The Late Show, had been canceled, but the entirety of late night television talk shows on his program had been canceled as well. This cancellation was made by CBS who is owned by Paramount. Also, the show was not taken completely off the air because Colbert’s contract lasts until May 2026.
But this cancellation came just days after Colbert’s comments about the law settlement between Paramount and Donald Trump. According to NBC News, Paramount gave Trump $16 million because he filed a lawsuit against them that claimed that Kamala Harris’s interview with 60 Minutes was deceptively edited to influence voters during the last year’s 2024 election.
Then Ell explained if she thought Colbert’s comments had any correlation with the cancellation of his show.
“I believe Colbert’s comments did come just before the cancellation of his show,” Ell said. “His comments were about him showing criticism on the Late Show of a law settlement between Paramount and Trump, showing a plausible cause to silence Stephen Colbert sooner rather than later, even with his high ratings and annual revenue for the company.
Then, days after that, according to TODAY, the FCC approved a $8 billion merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media. This act only accredits Colbert’s earlier comments that it was a, “Big fat bribe.”
“I think any criticism towards a large company, including one you work for, or a politician, is valid,” Ell said. “Anyone should be allowed to openly do so, and, since The Late Show was already getting canceled, Stephen Colbert exercised this right by criticizing Trump and Paramount more openly in a few of his remaining episodes, showing how much he was restricted from saying before.”
No, these events weren’t coincidental in the slightest, all of the movements made here were completely intentional. Paramount wanted to appease the Trump administration so that they could expand as a company. It didn’t matter if it was at the expense of the American people. In the blink of an eye, they sacrificed everything they once stood for to move up one ring on the ladder.
Ell then further conveyed what this cancellation says about Paramount.
“It shows an increase in restricting the media we consume and what it says about our political leaders in general, promoting bad mouthing one side while promoting the other,” Ell said. “And any opinion against this established status quo is silenced, becoming a bigger and bigger threat to free speech.”
Yet most importantly, Paramount folded, they gave in, they conceded. They let themselves be submitted by an authoritative president and willingly let him silence one of the best political commentators they will ever have. Not to mention they are dishonoring and outright tainting the historic legacy of 60 Minutes, the longest running prime-time TV news program in American history.
And what message is this sending to the American public? Is it to tell them that our rights, our freedom, our democracy, our people, are not worth fighting for?
But don’t they know that if you give in to a bully, that won’t make them stop, and will only keep them coming back for more?
Lastly, despite all of the evidence clearly laid out before us, CBS still claims that The Late Show was cancelled purely because of financial decisions.
Jimmy Kimmel Live! – September
In September of this year, Jimmy Kimmel’s show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, was suspended from Sept. 17 – 22. This suspension was made by ABC who is owned by Disney. Also, this action was immediately following Kimmel’s comments about the killing of Charlie Kirk. These comments sparked controversy online and earned significant backlash from Trump who personally called for his firing.
The second the President set his sights on Jimmy Kimmel and tried to discredit his name, Disney gave in. The company panicked because they didn’t want the next target of the MAGA movement. And so they sacrificed one of their own to the wolves to save their own skin.
C. Nelson, a private investigator, shared what she thought this suspension says about Disney.
“I think that was wrong because our country is built on freedom of speech, and the fact that one entity can have that much power or control over our country is disturbing,” Nelson said.
This is also a clear breach of our first amendment right to freedom of speech. Everyone has the right to make their beliefs known, no matter if we agree or disagree with what they are saying. And that right was violated, and by the chairman of the FCC no less. The FCC is supposed to have the public’s best interest at heart. But instead they are showing that they can effectively control what information gets back to the public and twist it to be in accordance with the President’s narrative.
Nelson then explained if this violation was a violation of freedom of speech.
“Abolutely,” Nelson said. “One of our rights is freedom of speech so everyone has the right to say what they have to say. But Trump is using his power and his influence to silence others. He’s trying to limit the scope of what we can say and to one certain belief. We can not allow any political entity to stifle our freedom of speech.”
Luckily, our fellow Americans saw this infringement on our rights and banded together to do something about it. For instance, hundreds of Americans protested outside of Disney headquarters, and called for boycotts of Disney’s streaming services which led to a multitude of Americans canceling their Disney+ subscriptions. In fact, Americans put so much of a dent in Disney’s deep pockets that their stock fell by 2.39% between Sept. 17-23, which is equivalent to $5 billion in market value, according to The Economic Times.
Using their public platforms, more than 400 celebrities, including Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep, signed a letter with the ACLU, showing that they dispute Disney’s decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel Live! Even the former CEO of Disney, Michael Eisner, criticized Disney’s decision as well.
Additionally, Nelson communicated what she thought about the Disney boycotts from everyday American citizens and celebrities.
“I think it was wonderful and much needed,” Nelson said. “The celebrities used their star power to defend what they thought was right, and the American people protested with their dollars by canceling their subscriptions, trips, cruises, and credit cards. Our freedom of speech is what we all have in common. It was amazing that when millions of individuals came together they made a difference.”
And in the end, when we united under a common purpose we were able to achieve a greatly sought after goal. By Sept. 23, Disney put Jimmy Kimmel Live! back on the air, after the pressure applied to them by the American public. And some programs that are affiliated with ABC like Nexstar and Sinclair, agreed to air the show again by Sept. 26. This event also echoes Kamala Harris’s famous quote, “When we fight, we win.”
But even though we got what we wanted, that doesn’t erase the former actions that have been made by Disney. Lifting his suspension still does not make up for taking Kimmel off the air because that act should have never happened in the first place. It showed how quickly Disney was willing to jump on the bandwagon of government censorship that has been rapidly consuming our country like a plague. Moreover, we will never forget how the almighty dollar meant more to Disney than fighting for the rights of the American people.
Nelson then indicated if she thought Disney lifting their suspension of Kemmel’s show, made up for their earlier actions.
“Disney was also easily influenced, I will not support a company that is weak – minded,” Nelson said. “They followed the other people who cowered to president Trump as well. And they thought that this suspension would blow over and that it wouldn’t have as much of an effect as it’s had.”
At any rate, since ABC lifted their suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the President now threatens to take legal action against them, with the end goal in mind to revoke their broadcasting license.
Who will be next?
Recent cancellations of late-night talk shows have left us thinking, “Who will be next?” Who will be the next broadcasting program to be targeted by the Trump administration? And will it be something similar to the previous shows that have been cancelled like The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Daily Show, Late Night With Seth Myers, or Real Time with Bill Maher. And even further, when will all late night talk shows critical of the President be cancelled? What would Americans do then? Hopefully, we’ll never get to that point, but from the direction our country’s going in, it’s surely something to think about. And that’s saddening.
It’s sad to think that we elected a President who thinks he has the right to control what information is shared with the public on our news broadcasts. And it’s even sadder to think that we let him get away with it, in either fear or compliance.
But what can Americans do about this? Well, I think that it has already been demonstrated how powerful we can be when joined together. So, we may only keep one thing in mind going forward, “When we fight, we win.”
