Vice President Vance argued Wednesday that Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr was not serious when he suggested last week that comedian Jimmy Kimmel be taken off the air over comments the host made about the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk.
“What people will say is, ‘Well, you know, didn’t the FCC commissioner put a tweet out that said something bad?’ … Compare that, the FCC Commissioner making a joke on social media,” Vance told reporters during a press conference in North Carolina. “What is the government action that the Trump administration has engaged in to kick Jimmy Kimmel or anybody else off the air? Zero.”
“What government pressure have we brought to bear to tell people that they’re not allowed to speak their mind? Zero,” he added.
Vance insisted that President Trump’s administration “believes in free speech.”
“We are fighting every single day to protect it,” the vice president said. “Now, compare that to the Biden administration, where we found out just yesterday that conservatives on YouTube and on a number of social media platforms were being censored.”
Kimmel was briefly suspended last week after Carr criticized him over his commentary following Kirk’s assassination, calling it “some of the sickest conduct” and arguing ABC and its local affiliates keep him off their airwaves.
Disney, the network’s parent company, reinstated Kimmel this week, with the host returning Tuesday to address to the controversy after his comments sparked backlash. Nexstar Media Group — which owns The Hill — and Sinclair Broadcasting opted to continue preempting the show.
“I do want to make something clear, because it’s important to me as a human: and that is you understand it was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man,” the comedian said during his emotional return. “I don’t think there’s anything funny about it. … Nor was it my intention to blame any specific group [for Kirk’s killing].”
He later condemned the suspect as “obviously a deeply disturbed individual.”
Vance, during an exclusive interview with DC News Now’s Reshad Hudson, called Kimmel’s return monologue “kind of kind-hearted,” but noted the late-night host did not apologize for his rhetoric on Kirk.
“And the reason so many people, including me, were so upset with what Jimmy Kimmel said is he accused Charlie Kirk’s murderer of being a MAGA or a right-wing American,” the vice president said. “It wasn’t a joke; it was straight-up disinformation, and I really wish Jimmy Kimmel would apologize for it.”
Trump slammed ABC for allowing Kimmel to return and threatened to take legal action.