John King has described Donald Trump’s attack on Jimmy Kimmel as “flatly just dangerous” for free speech in America.
The TV host was suspended from his job at ABC following remarks he made about assassinated conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
In a monologue during his show watched by millions, Mr Kimmel denounced the "Maga gang" as "desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them".
He also went on to accuse conservatives of trying to “score political points” from Mr Kirk’s death.
A split of Donald Trump and Jimmy Kimmel. Pictures by: Alamy.com.The Federal Communications Commission vowed to act against ABC, who promptly announced Mr Kimmel was suspended indefinitely - news celebrated by President Trump as "great news for America".
On The Pat Kenny Show, CNN Chief National Correspondent John King described America as at a “crossroads moment” and said free speech has never been more threatened in the US.
“The President of the United States says the market place did this, that viewers were mad at Jimmy Kimmel,” he said.
“Therefore the company did what they did; well, that’s not exactly true in the sense that one of Donald Trump’s officials said he can do this the hard way or we can do this the easy way.
“So, you had the Government of the United States telling ABC News, ‘You can take care of this yourself or we will use our powers as a Government.’
“That’s a political threat from the Government; you can disagree on what Jimmy Kimmel said, you can disagree with what John King is saying right now - that’s a cherished freedom.
“You have the right to call Newstalk and say, ‘Can I come in tomorrow and disagree with John King and make the case against him?’
“That is the principle of our First Amendment that any of us who live in a democracy should cherish.
“To see the President of the United States try and chip away at that, trying to decide his interpretation, who gets to speak and who doesn’t, is dangerous.
“It’s flatly just dangerous.”
United States President Donald J. Trump and Charlie Kirk. Picture by: Ron Sachs/CNP /MediaPunch.Yesterday, Mr Kirk’s memorial service took place in his home state of Arizona, in which a crowd of tens of thousands were addressed by his widow, Erika, President Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
Mr King noted that while Ms Kirk’s speech was “quite forgiving, very religious, very spiritual, very courageous”, the President’s speech was anything but.
“The President came out with such a contrasting message - ‘I hate my opponent’,” he described.
“That is striking; probably not a surprise if you follow Donald Trump all the time.
“He has benefited from the support of Christian conservatives like Charlie Kirk - even though much of what he says you would not put under the umbrella of what the Bible teaches us.
“So, it’s sort of a striking contrast; he’s not a religious person himself and yet he benefits from this movement.”
TO MY GREAT FELLOW AMERICANS… pic.twitter.com/oRsrE5TTHr
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 11, 2025
Mr King continued that America was in a “horrible moment” politically but that gun violence had been an issue in the United States for generations.
“The biggest difference is just the instantaneous communication - social media, smart phones, the internet,” he said.
“Messages of hope and also messages of hate can travel so quickly.
“If you are in a dark place, if you’re h
aving mental health issues, if you feel somehow detached or disaffected or pushed away from society, it’s easier to find a place that reinforces your view and it perhaps then triggers your anger and your violence.
“I think that’s what’s largely different from the 60s; are we in that era again?
“A lot of historians talk about Robert F Kennedy and Martin Luther King; I was in the State of Arizona just a decade ago when a Democratic Congresswoman Gabby Giffords was shot, at a public event in her district.”
Martin Luther King's funeral in Atlanta. Picture by: Keystone Press Agency/Keystone USA via ZUMAPRESS.com.Mr King continued that this recent history refutes the suggestion by President Trump that the left is to blame for political violence in America.
"It's unfair to say that it’s all one party,” he said.
“But that’s part of the unfortunate political debate that we are in after a very personal tragedy with Charlie Kirk."
Main image: Split of Donald Trump and Jimmy Kimmel. Pictures by: Alamy.com.
