White House Responds to Obama’s Comments on Kimmel’s Suspension

The White House criticized former President Barack Obama on Saturday for suggesting that the Trump administration influenced ABC’s decision to take Jimmy Kimmel off the air.

Obama alleged that the Trump administration escalated “cancel culture” to “new and dangerous levels.” His comments came in a post that included a Vox article accusing Kimmel of being ousted because Trump disliked his remarks.

White House press secretary Carolyn Leavitt responded, stating, “With respect for former President Obama, he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.” She continued in an interview with Fox News, noting, “The decision to cancel Jimmy Kimmel’s show came from an ABC executive, as is being reported now.”

Kimmel’s program was placed on indefinite hiatus on Wednesday after he suggested that the assassin of conservative figure Charlie Kirk was aligned with the “Maga” movement.

ABC made the decision following comments from Kimmel, which were also addressed by Nexstar, the local broadcaster airing his show. Moreover, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Kerr mentioned in an interview that Kimmel’s statements might conflict with FCC regulations that require broadcast licensees to serve “the public interest.”

Leavitt emphasized that Trump was overseas when ABC made its decision, asserting that there was no input from the White House. “When this news broke in the UK, I was with the US president,” she remarked.

She detailed their positive visit to the UK, led by the royal family and British Prime Minister, and stated that she was the one to inform Trump about Kimmel’s suspension. “He had no idea this was happening,” Leavitt added.

Leavitt concluded, “This was an ABC decision because Jimmy Kimmel chose to mislead his audience about the death of a respected individual while the country was grieving.”