It was an extraordinary scene on Thursday as two world leaders, in the midst of a high-profile state visit, discussed the latest controversy roiling the American media industry — the suspension of a late-night TV host under pressure from the U.S. government.
The previous night, Walt Disney’s ABC network had put Jimmy Kimmel’s show on indefinite hiatus following a Sept. 15 monologue in which the comedian weighed in on how Trump and his supporters were reacting to the assassination of Republican activist Charlie Kirk. The riff had drawn a public rebuke earlier in the day from Brendan Carr, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.
Asked about ABC’s decision, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer reminded attendees that free speech is "part of who we are” in Britain. It’s one of the reasons, he added, why the country fought alongside the U.S. in World War II.
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