The View Finally Breaks Silence on Jimmy Kimmel Suspension Amid FCC Threats: “No One Silences Us”
After two days of silence, the panelists of The View are finally weighing in on the growing controversy surrounding the suspension of
Jimmy Kimmel Live! — and the suggestion by the chair of the Federal Communications Commission that their own program could be next under scrutiny.
On Monday, Sept. 22, Whoopi Goldberg, Ana Navarro, Sara Haines, Sunny Hostin and Alyssa Farah Griffin opened their show by addressing the uproar that has gripped ABC since executives pulled Kimmel’s long-running late-night series off the air. The move came after the comedian made remarks about the gunman who fatally shot conservative commentator Charlie Kirk during an event at Utah Valley University — comments that sparked a political firestorm and prompted FCC Chair Brendan Carr to float the possibility of investigating
The View’s status as a “bona fide news program.”
Goldberg, 69, wasted no time setting the tone. “Did y’all really think we were not gonna talk about Jimmy Kimmel? Have you watched this show for the past 29 seasons?” she asked the live audience. “You know, no one silences us.” She explained that the panel had deliberately paused to see if Kimmel himself would respond before weighing in, adding, “We did the same thing with Stephen Colbert. Friday we were on tape, but we are live now, and we’re getting into it.”
From there, Goldberg drew a clear line between network decisions and government interference. “You can not like a show and it can go off the air. Someone can say something they shouldn’t and get taken off the air. But the government cannot apply pressure to force someone to be silenced,” she said.
The broadcast then aired clips of Republican Senators Ted Cruz and Rand Paul, who both voiced their opposition to the Kimmel controversy. Goldberg also criticized President Donald Trump’s reaction, remarking: “I don’t understand how you are the man in charge of the nation and you still don’t understand how the First Amendment works.”
Hostin, 56, echoed that sentiment, stressing that “the president of the United States should know what the freedom of speech means.” Navarro, 53, then turned directly to viewers, thanking them for holding the show accountable. “For me, I want to start by thanking our loyal viewers for demanding truth and courage from us. You deserve it and we will give it to you,” she said.
Navarro condemned what she called the dangerous irony of using Kirk’s assassination to suppress speech. “The horrible, senseless assassination of Charlie Kirk — a man I disagreed with — who stood for debate and stood for freedom of speech, is being used to silence people and cancel people,” she said. “How is it that in this country, where the First Amendment was meant to guarantee freedom of the press and freedom of speech, the government is using its weight and power to bully and scare people into silence?”
She then shared her own personal history growing up under authoritarian regimes in Nicaragua. “I lived through a right-wing dictatorship. I lived through a left-wing dictatorship. This is what dictators and authoritarians do — it does not matter the ideology,” Navarro said. “At first, they come for the people with big platforms. They silence the press. But then they come for all of us, because their intent is to scare us into silence and self-censorship. A bully always comes back for more.”
Farah Griffin, 36, also warned viewers to think long-term. “We have to consider the precedent it sets down the road,” she said, emphasizing that free expression under political pressure should concern people across the political spectrum.
The uproar traces back to Kimmel’s Sept. 15 monologue, where he addressed the fallout from Kirk’s killing. “The MAGA Gang is 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,” Kimmel said at the time. “In between the finger-pointing, there was grieving.” He also extended condolences to Kirk’s family before the segment ended.
Two days later, ABC pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live! off the air. The move coincided with Nexstar Media’s $6.2 billion acquisition of broadcast rival Tegna, a deal that would give Nexstar control over affiliates in 80% of U.S. television households — a merger requiring final approval from Trump’s FCC. Nexstar quickly distanced itself from Kimmel, releasing a statement that it “strongly objects to recent comments made by Mr. Kimmel concerning the killing of Charlie Kirk” and announcing it would replace his program in ABC-affiliated markets.
FCC Chair Brendan Carr, who publicly praised ABC’s decision, later suggested the Commission might examine The View. Appearing on The Scott Jennings Radio Show on Sept. 18, Carr explained: “The FCC does have a rule called the equal opportunity rule. But there’s an exception to that rule called the bona fide news exception, which means if you are a bona fide news program, you don’t have to abide by the equal opportunity rule. I think it’s worthwhile to have the FCC look into whether
The View and some other programs still qualify as bona fide news programs.”
For two days, the daytime panelists remained silent — fueling speculation of turmoil inside ABC. Some outlets even reported “chaos” behind the scenes. But a source close to production pushed back, telling reporters on Sept. 19 that “there is no chaos at the show. As always, the team is focused on producing a daily talk show and having thoughtful conversations at the table.”
By Sept. 22, Goldberg made it clear the panel was ready to confront the controversy directly. Wrapping Monday’s broadcast, she wished viewers a happy Rosh Hashanah and left them with a message of resilience: “Don’t give up. We are all in this together and we’re doing it, and we will see you tomorrow, because we will.”
