The Morning Joe panel didn’t hold back Thursday morning as they tore into what they say is a chilling new tactic from Donald Trump — using government pressure to silence critics in the media. The latest target? Late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel, who was suspended from ABC after pressure from Trump allies, including FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr.
MSNBC analyst John Heilemann put it bluntly: “It is a very tough position Donald Trump is putting people in. That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t stand up and fight, because if they don’t fight he’s going to keep doing it. But it is a tricky, it’s a very difficult position because it’s a lose-lose.”
Kimmel, a consistent and high-profile critic of Trump, has long been a thorn in the president’s side. But according to Heilemann, what’s unfolding now isn’t just Trump venting — it’s something far more dangerous: a coordinated attempt to pressure media companies into submission through regulatory threats and financial risk.
“You know, if ABC hadn’t done this to Jimmy Kimmel and they [the FCC] had continued to threaten, their share price is going to drop today,” Heilemann said. “And then you’ve got a shareholder lawsuit on your hands.”
The point, Heilemann emphasized, isn’t about defending corporate cowardice — it’s about recognizing the trap Trump has set. “Again, not making excuses for the behavior, really just pointing out the diabolical nature of how this kind of intimidation and these kind of threats, how it works and it double binds where there are no good choices,” he said.
The pressure coming from Brendan Carr — a Trump-appointed FCC commissioner — has put Disney, ABC’s parent company, in what the panel described as an impossible situation. Cave to political threats, or face backlash from shareholders. Either way, Trump wins.
This kind of maneuvering, the panel warned, isn’t just a media story — it’s a political tactic with far-reaching consequences. And if major networks roll over now, it could embolden Trump and his allies to escalate further.
What’s happening with Kimmel is just the latest front in a larger effort to intimidate dissenters — and use the machinery of government to do it.
This isn’t just about Jimmy Kimmel. It’s about the future of media independence in the face of political strong-arming. And unless people start calling it what it is — diabolical — it’s only going to get worse.
Watch the clip below:
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