By the time you read this, Jimmy Kimmel will have returned to ABC. That means you’ll know whether the comedian has resumed his free-speech platform—or if ABC has silenced his constant mockery of Donald Trump and his administration.
Make no mistake: the attack on the First Amendment is far from over. The question is whether media ownership dares to defend the right to speak freely, without fear of retribution.
Since Trump descended the golden escalator in 2015, he has waged a relentless war on free speech and journalism. He labeled reporters the “enemy of the people,” smeared stories as “fake news,” and treated the press as partisan players in his reality show. Ten years later, Trump has damaged the media not just with rhetoric, but by intimidating its owners.
Lawsuits are his preferred weapon. None have held up in court, but each has drained defendants’ resources and served as a warning to others. Trump’s cases against Disney/ABC, Paramount/CBS, and others were settled before trial. A federal judge dismissed his lawsuit against The New York Times with a sharp rebuke, saying it read more like a political statement than a legal claim.
But winning in court isn’t the point. The lawsuits sustain Trump’s narrative of victimhood while forcing media companies into costly, exhausting defenses. “This legal action is part of a broader strategy to undermine the press … an ‘anti-press playbook’ to deter fact-based reporting,” New York Times CEO Meredith Kopit Levien warned.
The other tactic is weaponizing government. FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr recently sent a chilling signal when he said of Kimmel, “We can do this the easy way or the hard way.” Think about that. It’s the language of intimidation, not regulation.
The cultural consequences are equally troubling. The suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! and the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert—once staples of political satire—show how fragile dissenting voices have become. Satire has always been democracy’s pressure valve, where hypocrisy is mocked and arrogance deflated. Silencing those voices, whether through lawsuits, threats, or corporate fear, is a win for those in power and a loss for the public. As Reuters reported, “ABC’s decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel shows Trump’s increasing grip over media, entertainment, and tech platforms.”
If comedians can’t lampoon politicians, what chance do straight-news reporters have to hold politicians accountable?
Historically, presidents have criticized the press. But Trump is different. He hasn’t just complained; he has tried to discredit journalism itself. His message to the public is simple: Don’t trust the press. Trust me. Too many Americans buy it. Trust in media has declined not only among Trump supporters but across the spectrum.
And yet journalism endures. Investigations are published. Fact-checks are written. Revelations about Trump’s finances and policies continue to emerge. By that measure, the press has not failed. But the ground has shifted. Reporters face not just political spin, but existential threats—lawsuits, bans, harassment. A watchdog that is constantly kicked eventually learns to flinch.
That is the danger: that journalism, instead of barking, begins to whimper. Or worse, curls up in the corner, domesticated into submission. A press that trims its sails to avoid Trump’s wrath is no longer a watchdog—it is a lapdog.
Journalists cannot fight this battle alone. They need the unwavering support of ownership. And that is the core problem. Too often, corporate boards prioritize shareholder profits over public duty. Former Washington Post editor Marty Baron put it bluntly: “They’re afraid of being made a target by Trump, that he’s going to do severe damage to their other commercial interests.” Fear has rendered too many owners into paper tigers—prominent and visible, but hollow when challenged.
Recent settlements reveal the risks. Paramount Global’s $16 million payment to resolve a Trump lawsuit over a “60 Minutes “ segment sent shockwaves through CBS News. As Reuters reported, it “triggered widespread concern among CBS News staff, press freedom advocates, and lawmakers.” When ownership pays to protect profits, the message to journalists is clear: We support you—20%.
Axios has reported that executives at major outlets are instructing their newsrooms to temper coverage of Trump amid concerns about potential political retribution. The result is a chilling effect: courage suppressed before a story is even written.
Understand this: newsrooms will bravely pursue the truth if they know ownership stands behind them. Journalists don’t want to play it safe. They want to reveal the truth because the public has a right to know. As Katherine Graham once said, “Fear is a bad advisor.”
When politicians dictate coverage through intimidation—and owners silently comply—democracy suffers. The free press isn’t just another institution. It is the one designed to hold all others accountable. If that role is weakened, corruption and authoritarianism grow unchecked.
This moment tests the integrity of ownership. Journalism isn’t about pleasing advertisers or currying favor with politicians. It’s about verification, independence, and accountability. A press that bows to intimidation becomes a stenographer, not a watchdog.
The stakes are not just professional—they are civic. Citizens depend on journalism to make informed decisions. If the press weakens under pressure, the public will be left with propaganda on one side and entertainment on the other. That undermines not just journalism, but democracy itself.
Donald Trump may not have broken the media, but he has revealed its fault lines. He has shown how vulnerable it is to lawsuits, intimidation, and corporate timidity. The question now is not what Trump will do next, but whether ownership will finally stand behind the journalists doing the hard work of holding power accountable.