New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani announced Monday evening he will reschedule his town hall with a local ABC affiliate after the network reversed its decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show.
The Democratic nominee had earlier pulled out of the event in protest of ABC’s suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! following federal pressure over the host’s comments after conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s death.
Newsweek reached out to Mamdani’s office via email on Monday for comment.
Why It Matters
Jimmy Kimmel Live! was suspended on Wednesday after FCC Chair Brendan Carr threatened regulatory consequences for ABC if it did not take action against the late-night talk show host for his comments regarding Kirk. Nexstar, owner of multiple network affiliates, then announced it would stop airing Kimmel’s show indefinitely, with ABC soon following suit.
Mamdani was due to appear for the town hall with local ABC affiliate WABC-TV News on September 25 but previously said that he would no longer take part.
“ABC pulled Jimmy Kimmel off the air after the FCC sought to pressure them,” Mamdani said earlier. “The message that it sends to each and every American across this country is a message the First Amendment is no longer a right that can be counted on, but rather that it is government which will determine what should and should not be discussed, what can and cannot be spoken. And we cannot normalize these kinds of acts nor offenses. These must be the basis upon which we act.”
What To Know
On Monday afternoon, the 33-year-old candidate announced that he reached out to WABC in an attempt to reschedule the town hall.
“Last week, Disney/ABC caved to Trump administration pressure. Millions of Americans helped them find their backbone. Whether you watch Jimmy Kimmel or not, today’s decision is a victory for free speech,” Mamdani wrote on X. “We’ve reached out to WABC to reschedule the town hall.”
The candidate is facing former Governor Andrew Cuomo, Mayor Eric Adams and Republican Curtis Sliwa in New York City’s November election. ABC lifted Kimmel’s suspension Monday, releasing a statement that the network had “spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy.”
The suspension arrived after broadcasters Nexstar and Sinclair said they wouldn’t air Kimmel’s show and Carr threatened repercussions if Kimmel wasn’t punished. President Donald Trump, who has called Kirk a “great American hero,” applauded the initial suspension.
Mamdani held his protest announcement on Roosevelt Island, referencing President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1941 State of the Union address that lauded freedom of expression. The site was chosen in homage of Roosevelt’s emphasis on free speech as a cornerstone of American democracy.
What People Are Saying
Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, on X Monday: “This is big: Jimmy Kimmel is coming back! This is about fighting for free speech and against these abuses by Donald Trump and Brendan Carr.”
Illinois Democratic Governor JB Pritzker, on X Monday: “‘Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that.’ Looking forward to seeing Jimmy back on the air.”
David Hogg, on X Monday: “HES BACK!”
Steve Krakauer, executive producer of The Megyn Kelly Show, on X Monday: “Jimmy Kimmel getting a four-show vacation completely ruins the whole ‘fascism’ narrative. Don’t think authoritarian regimes allow dissidents back on the air because some celebs signed a strongly-worded letter!”
What Happens Next?
Kimmel returns to Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Tuesday night after ABC’s reversal.
Mamdani’s campaign will coordinate with New York’s WABC to establish a new date for the town hall as the mayoral race continues ahead of November’s election.
Reporting from the Associated Press contributed to this article.
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