Hillary Clinton on Kimmel, Kirk: ‘Very Clear Example of Using the Power of the State to Suppress Speech’

The fallout over the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel has now collided with the tragic assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, creating a moment that underscores America’s bitter cultural divide. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton weighed in during an interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, choosing to frame the matter as government suppression of speech.

When asked if Kimmel’s suspension amounted to censorship, Clinton replied: “Well, I think this is a very clear example of using the power of the state to suppress speech. It is a direct government action to try to intimidate employers, organizations, corporations, much of which we’ve already seen, to remove an opponent, even though it’s a comic.”

Clinton elaborated further, pointing to her own time in public life:

“Look, I had no idea when I was in public life and listening to the jokes that were made about me and the attacks that were, you know, coming from people like Jimmy Kimmel and others that I could have called up the head of the FCC and said, take them off the air. I don’t like what they’re saying. I mean, of course, this was a particularly sensitive time because of the terrible crime that was committed, the murder of Mr. Kirk.

But you know, you defend free speech in terrible times, and you defend free speech that is used against holding people in power accountable through satire, humor, barbed attacks, you defend it even when it is offensive, and they have unfortunately taken the view that we believe in free speech, as long as we’re making the speech and your speech agrees with us, otherwise, we’re against free speech.”

She later amplified the remarks on X, posting: “In America, we defend free speech in terrible times. We defend free speech even when it’s offensive. We defend free speech.” Yet even that post restricted comments, much like another she made just a week after Kirk’s assassination, where she congratulated American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten on her new book.

Weingarten’s book, Why Fascists Fear Teachers, drew attention when excerpts in Rolling Stone accused conservatives of being “fascists” and “Nazis,” compared book bans to Nazi Germany in 1933, and warned that Trump and Elon Musk were acting as “shadow governing partners.” The timing was striking—authorities confirmed the 22-year-old suspect charged with Kirk’s murder had scrawled “Hey fascist! Catch!” on bullet casings.

In the days after the assassination, teachers in multiple states faced investigations or termination for celebratory or hostile posts about Kirk’s death, including comments like “America became greater” and “1 Nazi down.” A website, charliesmurderers.com, quickly received thousands of submissions documenting these grotesque celebrations.

Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX) said such rhetoric is no accident, but the direct result of years of partisan demonization. “And now, Charlie Kirk has been murdered,” Hunt told Breitbart News. “This is not rhetoric. These are lived realities.” He argued that Democrats and their allies “have vilified, censored, and targeted conservatives at every turn for over a decade,” and that violence against conservatives has become “normalized by silence, excuse-making, or even tacit encouragement from the left.”

Clinton’s defense of Kimmel is particularly notable given her own history of labeling Republicans as her “enemies.” During a 2015 Democratic debate, when asked which adversary she was most proud of, she answered: “Well, in addition to the NRA, the health insurance companies, the drug companies, the Iranians; probably the Republicans.” That long track record of demonizing political opponents has now resurfaced in the current debate.

The Kimmel controversy itself began after the late-night host mocked President Trump’s mourning of Kirk’s assassination. Kimmel joked it was “like how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish,” and even suggested Robinson, the alleged assassin, may have been part of the “MAGA gang.” Investigators later identified Robinson as a left-leaning individual, in a relationship with a male who identifies as female and who, according to reports, “hates conservatives and Christians.” Utah Governor Spencer Cox confirmed those details, and investigators say Robinson admitted responsibility in a message to the partner.

Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr warned that broadcasters risk their licenses if they mislead the public. He praised Nexstar Media Group for doing “the right thing” by suspending Kimmel. Sinclair Broadcasting also pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live from its affiliates, replacing it with a tribute to Kirk. ABC affiliates cited the need to uphold community standards and constructive dialogue. Carr made clear that networks could “do this the easy way or the hard way,” signaling further scrutiny under federal law.

President Donald Trump welcomed the decision, posting that Kimmel had “ZERO talent” and praising ABC for “finally having the courage to do what had to be done.” In an ironic twist, a resurfaced 2017 post from Kirk himself—“Jimmy Kimmel isn’t funny”—circulated widely in recent days.

Still, Democrats and many in the media decried the suspension. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer warned that legal challenges could follow. CNN analyst Brian Stelter claimed, “America is a less free place if late night comedians cannot do and say what they want.” David Letterman accused networks of “sucking up to an authoritarian criminal administration,” while Jake Tapper argued, “if citizens cannot criticize leaders, we are no longer the United States of America.” Minnesota Governor Tim Walz went further, calling the suspension “North Korea-style stuff.” Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) said he had not seen such a government action in his decade in Congress.

The controversy now sits at the intersection of two profound issues: political violence against conservatives and the boundaries of free speech in an era of weaponized media. The assassination of Kirk exposed just how toxic the national climate has become, with violent rhetoric crossing into violent action. And the suspension of Kimmel highlighted the uneven playing field where “free speech” is defended loudly by the left only when it protects their own.

This moment is bigger than late-night comedy. It is about whether America will defend free speech equally, reject political violence unequivocally, and hold leaders accountable for the climate they help create. The choices made now will echo far beyond television screens—they will shape whether liberty remains the guiding principle of American life.