Former President Barack Obama has drawn criticism after speaking out against the removal of late-night host Jimmy Kimmel from network lineups, calling it an example of dangerous government overreach. Kimmel was suspended after falsely claiming that conservative activist Charlie Kirk had been assassinated by a supporter of former President Donald Trump — a statement that has since been widely discredited.
Following backlash, several major media groups — including Nexstar Media, Sinclair Broadcast Group, and Disney — confirmed that Jimmy Kimmel Live! had been pulled from their programming indefinitely.
Obama addressed the controversy in a statement Thursday, accusing the Trump administration of using regulatory threats to suppress opposing voices in the media.
“After years of complaining about cancel culture, the current administration has taken it to a new and dangerous level by routinely threatening regulatory action against media companies unless they muzzle or fire reporters and commentators it doesn’t like,” Obama said. “This is precisely the kind of government coercion that the First Amendment was designed to prevent.”
After years of complaining about cancel culture, the current administration has taken it to a new and dangerous level by routinely threatening regulatory action against media companies unless they muzzle or fire reporters and commentators it doesn’t like. https://t.co/uts7JpJZzN
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) September 18, 2025
Comedian and actress Roseanne Barr responded sharply to Obama’s remarks, accusing him and former First Lady Michelle Obama of contributing to her own firing from ABC in 2018. At the time, Barr was removed from her hit show Roseanne after posting a controversial tweet about former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett.
“Remember when you and your wife called Bob Iger to have me fired?” Barr wrote, referring to the then-CEO of Disney. In a 2019 interview with The Sunday Times Magazine, Barr claimed Michelle Obama personally urged ABC executives to cancel her show — a claim that has not been independently verified but has circulated widely among her supporters.
Barr has acknowledged her tweet was poorly worded but argued that it was a political critique of the Obama administration’s relationship with Iran, not a racial insult.
Barr further suggested that her removal was politically motivated, saying it reflected a broader pattern of suppressing conservative voices in entertainment and media.
Remember when you and your wife called Bob Iger to have me fired? https://t.co/w5BcJ1bsLC
— Roseanne Barr (@therealroseanne) September 18, 2025
Other figures cited by critics of cancel culture include:
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Gina Carano, removed from The Mandalorian after controversial social media posts
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Megyn Kelly, whose NBC contract was terminated following comments about Halloween costumes
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Joe Rogan, who faced boycotts and backlash over his COVID-19 commentary
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Tucker Carlson, who was ousted from Fox News amid advertiser pressure
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Parler, a conservative social media app, which was deplatformed by major tech companies
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J.K. Rowling, criticized and blacklisted in some circles for statements on gender and sex
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Mike Lindell, the MyPillow CEO, who was banned from social media and dropped by retailers for his support of Trump and election fraud claims
After years of complaining about cancel culture, the current administration has taken it to a new and dangerous level by routinely threatening regulatory action against media companies unless they muzzle or fire reporters and commentators it doesn’t like. https://t.co/uts7JpJZzN
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) September 18, 2025
Former Illinois congressional candidate Jack Lombardi also criticized Obama’s remarks, pointing to incidents during his presidency that raised concerns over press freedom. Among them:
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In 2009, the Obama White House attempted to exclude Fox News from a media pool interview — a move rebuffed by other networks.
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In 2013, the Department of Justice secretly seized phone records from Associated Press journalists.
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That same year, DOJ named Fox News reporter James Rosen a “co-conspirator” in a leak investigation.
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In 2014, the FCC considered a controversial newsroom study on media diversity, which was later dropped after public outcry.
The debate underscores ongoing tensions over media accountability, political influence, and the boundaries of free speech in the digital era.