Late-night hosts stick together. Ahead of Jimmy Kimmel’s highly anticipated return to television, Watch What Happens Live host Andy Cohen weighed in on the controversy. He called the show’s suspension “un-American,” and he had some strong words for President Donald Trump as his war against criticism continues.
Andy Cohen reacted to Jimmy Kimmel’s ABC suspension
After a multiple-day suspension, Jimmy Kimmel Live! returned on Tuesday, September 23. That morning, Andy sounded off about the unnecessary pause on SiriusXM’s Andy Cohen Live. He made it clear that he wasn’t thrilled about the government’s attempt at muzzling a late-night host. Can you imagine if they tried to pull this with WWHL?
“I just want to say about this Jimmy Kimmel mess,” Andy began. “I was very upset by this, and you should be too. First of all, I mean, Jimmy Kimmel, who’s just one of the great guys of all time, top to bottom, the biggest heart, a great guy. You know, after this happened, the president said that he thinks people who criticize him should lose their broadcast license. Now, sit with that for a second if you think anyone is overreacting to this.”
Andy pointed out how different the reaction would be if a different president used the office to try to influence TV programming. He also praised far-right Republicans like Ted Cruz, who broke away from Trump to criticize the Kimmel suspension.
“Imagine if [Joe] Biden was going after Greg Gutfeld to lose his broadcast license. That’s called free speech. Silencing your enemies is un-American,” Andy continued. “I hope in a moment in time where there seem to be no checks and balances for anything that’s happening out of D.C., I hope that good wins here.”
Andy made a great point, but it’s unclear if “good” actually won in this instance. While Disney allowed Jimmy to return to the show, Nexstar and Sinclair, the conservative media groups that own dozens of ABC affiliate stations, refused to broadcast it, leaving millions of Americans still unable to watch. The fight isn’t over.
Jimmy Kimmel Live! airs at 11:35 p.m. ET/ 10:35 CT on ABC, if your local network allows it. Otherwise, you can stream it on Hulu or Disney+.
TELL US – DID YOU WATCH JIMMY KIMMEL’S RETURN TO TV LAST NIGHT? WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON ANDY’S COMMENTS?
