Kissing Off Kimmel

Two wrongs don't make a right. The media has been consumed by ABC’s decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel’s show indefinitely, possibly for good. Just because Big Tech censored President Trump and his colleagues, and the Biden administration launched lawfare against Trump, does not justify the second Trump administration doing the same. Just because prior administrations engaged in executive warfare against artists such as Bill Maher and Roseanne Barr doesn't mean that Brendan Carr, the current FCC Chairman, should have made an open threat that amounted to saying, Fire Jimmy Kimmel or else.

In the events leading up to Kimmel's suspension by ABC, Carr said in a post:

Frankly, when you see stuff like this, I mean, we can do this the easy way, or these companies can find ways to change conduct, to take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or there's going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.

To be sure, we were absolutely horrified by the murder of Charlie Kirk and said so in an editorial dedicated to the young MAGA leader. To us, it also does not matter that Jimmy Kimmel lied during his remarks by deliberately grouping the killer in with the rest of the MAGA movement: "We had some new lows over the weekend, with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and doing everything they can to score political points from it." We can find myriad meanings for the phrase, "as anything other than one of them." However, Kimmel has long taken a hostile line toward Trump and the right, which makes his accusations hard to take seriously. He is no impartial newsman.

To us, the only motive that matters is that the cold-hearted killer wanted to end the young life of a potential future presidential candidate, and did so successfully, robbing Charlie Kirk's very young children of a father and his wife of a husband.

If the killer thought that ending Kirk's life would also orphan Turning Point USA, the impressive organization that he founded in 2011, the opposite has happened. As of September 16, TPUSA had received over 54,000 requests from high school and college students nationwide to start a chapter or get involved with an existing one. Kirk's ambition was to set up 20,000 chapters.

This heightened enthusiasm makes our point that the free market always works wonders. When Americans drive debate and take action in response to national emergencies, preferably without being provoked by any organized force, whether private or governmental, the outcome is always stellar. Grassroots movements embody true American exceptionalism and have been the hallmark of the country’s political fabric for over 250 years.

Ordinary citizens who must balance numerous priorities to navigate life's ups and downs want to express themselves and get involved in the TPUSA mission, making it one of the world's most significant grassroots movements.

By the same token, the two largest ABC station groups, Nexstar and Sinclair, wielded their influence over ABC's decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel's show, acting to uphold the forces of the free market. Nexstar’s and Sinclair’s actions reflected the grassroots concerns of millions of families across nearly 80% of ABC’s media market. They acted because their viewers, ordinary Americans, were offended by Kimmel’s comments. That is how accountability should work: from the ground up, not the top down.

Sinclair Broadcast Group, the largest of ABC's affiliate groups, stated that it objected to Kimmel's comments and called on him to make a direct apology to the Kirk family, as well as for the network to make a "meaningful donation" to them and Turning Point USA. "Regardless of ABC's plans for the future of the program, Sinclair intends not to return 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' to our air until we are confident that appropriate steps have been taken to uphold the standards expected of a national broadcast platform," the company said. Nexstar, the largest station group in the country, owns 32 ABC affiliates out of a total of 200 stations, and similarly distanced itself from Kimmel’s program.

Free speech is a right granted and protected by the U.S. Constitution. Hollywood star Ed Norton brilliantly portrayed the public conflict that has unfolded over the last few days as the character arguing a free speech case before the Supreme Court. In People v. Larry Flynt, the Supreme Court ruled 9-0 that a parody by Hustler magazine showing a religious leader, Jerry Falwell, engaging in incest, however much in poor taste that it was, was still protected by the First Amendment. The character played by Norton, attorney Alan Isaacman, says, "There should be uninhibited public debate and freedom of speech....we have a long tradition in this country of satiric commentary...this country is founded at least in part on the firm belief that unpopular speech is vital to the health of our nation."

Kimmel's speech is fully protected by the First Amendment, just as it is our right not to watch him. People may protest. Affiliates may drop his show. ABC, a private company, may suspend it. These are the forces of the free market at work, which, working efficiently, can act in a way no government agency ever can. Even President Trump noted, “Jimmy Kimmel is not a talented person. He had very bad ratings, and they should have fired him a long time ago. He was fired for lack of talent.”

There was absolutely no need for a government official such as Brendan Carr of the FCC to weigh in. With his tasteless threat, the power of the free market was diluted. Charlie Kirk, who devoted his life to advancing free speech, would never have approved of Carr's statement. Even our history books would forever make a mockery of the FCC, describing Carr's threat as a subtext to any discussion of Kirk's legacy.

As expected, The New York Times, quick to spin the country’s history, pounced on Carr's unforced error by publishing an article on Thursday: "ABC Pulls Jimmy Kimmel Off Air for Charlie Kirk Comments After F.C.C. Pressure." The truth is that it was free market forces, not the FCC, that did it, and Washington should have held its tongue.

📊 Market Mood — Friday, September 19, 2025

Tone: Cautiously Optimistic | Risk-On Bias

📈 Stocks:
U.S. futures are flat but holding near record highs after the Fed’s first rate cut since December. The Dow and S&P 500 are up about 0.7% this week, while the Nasdaq has gained 1.5%, driven by optimism over easing policy and ongoing AI momentum.

🏦 Fed Policy:
The Fed trimmed rates by 25 bps to 4.00–4.25% and signaled two more cuts this year and another in 2026. Powell called it a “risk-management cut,” stressing that further easing depends on data amid sticky inflation and uneven economic signals.

🌍 Geopolitics:
President Trump and China’s Xi are expected to speak today, with TikTok’s U.S. future high on the agenda. A constructive tone could lift tech sentiment and risk appetite.

📦 Corporate:
FedEx beat revenue and profit forecasts on strong cost discipline, offsetting softer international volumes and the end of tariff exemptions. Lennar, by contrast, reported a 46% profit drop as housing demand stays weak despite the Fed’s policy shift.

🛢️ Commodities:
Oil is slightly lower (Brent ~$66.96, WTI ~$62.95) but still heading for a second week of gains, as lower rates support demand hopes while inventory builds keep gains in check.

📌 Summary: Markets are steady and near highs, buoyed by the Fed’s gentle pivot and hopes for easing U.S.–China tensions. Risk appetite is firm but measured as investors balance stimulus tailwinds against lingering demand and inflation concerns.

📅 Key Economic Events Today

🟨 Friday, September 19

None today