Right-leaning podcasting sensation Joe Rogan has weighed in on the temporary suspension of late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, which came amid intense pressure from the Trump administration. Rogan asserted that the government should have no say over what comedians utter and branded conservatives "crazy" for endorsing any form of such interference.
Last week, Disney’s ABC Network pulled Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show off the air after he made remarks about the suspected killer of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. However, Kimmel's show made a triumphant return on Tuesday night, putting an end to a nearly weeklong standoff that had ignited debates about free speech and the First Amendment.
Rogan, who was an influential supporter of President Donald Trump during the 2024 campaign, minced no words on his podcast: “I definitely don’t think that the government should ever step in to dictate what a comedian can or cannot say in a monologue.” He argued that if such government interference were real and conservatives were rallying behind it, they were acting irrationally. “Eventually, you’re going to be the one they come after,” Rogan cautioned. “The problem arises if companies are being pressured by the government. If that’s genuinely happening and people on the right are saying, ‘Yeah, go get ’em,’ oh my God, you’re insane. Supporting this is lunacy because this very tool will be turned on you someday.”
The controversy erupted last week when Kimmel claimed that the MAGA movement was attempting to score political points by distancing itself from Kirk’s alleged killer. Upon his return, Kimmel delivered an emotional monologue, urging viewers to resist Trump’s intimidation tactics and clarifying that he never intended to “make light” of a young man’s murder or “pin the blame on any specific group.”
The Kimmel imbroglio highlights how deeply politicized opinions and remarks surrounding Kirk’s murder have become, with high-profile campaigns calling on employers to terminate individuals who make comments deemed unflattering about Kirk. This incident also unfolds against a backdrop where the president has targeted media companies when they displease him, exemplified by his $15 billion defamation lawsuit against the New York Times. A federal judge has since dismissed the lawsuit, citing that the 85-page complaint failed to adhere to federal rules for filing civil suits.
