Trump ally's former lawyer likens Kimmel suspension to Nazi censorship, fueling free-speech debate

A former Trump White House attorney compared ABC's decision to pull Jimmy Kimmel Live! after pressure from the Federal Communications Commission to Nazi Germany, drawing a line between media censorship and historic authoritarian actions.

In remarks reflecting on Kimmel being taken off the air with NBC's Kristen Welker, Ty Cobb said the move amounted to something more troubling than a late-night programming scrape. "It's evocative of what we've seen throughout history," Cobb said, referencing the circumstances surrounding the comedian’s comments about conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s death and the ensuing backlash.

"I mean, in 1939, Dr [Joseph] Goebbels, at Hitler's instruction, removed five comedians, or witticists as they were called at the time, from the airwaves in Germany, for criticizing or making fun of the government in a satire way," Cobb said. He noted that Goebbels was the minister of propaganda for the German Third Reich under Adolf Hitler. Cobb, who served on Trump’s legal team from July 2017 to May 2018, also drew a parallel to Vladimir Putin’s early 2000s takeover of Russia, when authorities silenced media outlets that did not align with the regime. "Trump is waging war on people who offend him," Cobb contended. "He's all about vengeance. ... Sadly, his subordinates, like one of the Project 2025 authors, Brandon Carr of the FCC, are following in line."

![Ty Cobb]https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/09/20/05/102301475-0-image-m-33_1758342373380.jpg

The remarks come as Kimmel’s indefinite suspension from ABC and its affiliates has ignited a national conversation about free expression in the wake of Kirk’s murder and the host’s commentary about the case. Kimmel had criticized Trump’s response to the incident, saying, "We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang 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." He also addressed the former president’s statement on Kirk’s death, adding, "This is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he called a friend. This is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish, okay?"

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr subsequently signaled that the commission could investigate Kimmel and ABC, telling Benny Johnson on his podcast that the conduct he had observed "appears to be some of the sickest conduct possible." Carr cautioned that there were legal avenues the FCC might pursue and that he might be required to act as a judge on related claims. "When you look at the conduct that has taken place by Jimmy Kimmel, it appears to be some of the sickest conduct possible," Carr said.

As the controversy intensified, Donald Trump publicly raised the possibility of penalizing media outlets that criticized him. On Air Force One, he criticized coverage he described as negative and said, "They give me only bad press. ... I would think maybe their licenses should be taken away." He also suggested that he could target journalists who challenge him, hinting at further actions against outlets and individuals who dispute his account of events. He later indicated he might target journalists who challenge him and referenced actions against those who aired Kimmel’s remarks.

Other prominent voices joined the discussion. Democratic Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro told NBC that he felt fear upon learning Kimmel, a longtime ABC veteran, was pulled from the air, warning that undermining freedom of speech by using government power to punish speech was dangerous. "Whether you agree with Jimmy Kimmel or not, whether you found him funny or not, to fire someone because he told a joke about the president... that is dangerous." Republican Texas Senator Ted Cruz, who chairs the Senate committee that oversees the FCC, also denounced the move. In a verdict podcast, Cruz argued that government power should not be used to silence speech and cautioned that such tactics could backfire if applied to conservatives nationwide. "We shouldn't be threatening government power to force him off air. That's a real mistake," Cruz said, while acknowledging the broader impulse to protect free expression.

The episode has prompted a broader debate about the line between fair regulation and political censorship, with officials and commentators urging careful consideration of rights enshrined in the First Amendment and the scope of the FCC’s authority. While Kimmel’s suspension remains unresolved, the discourse underscores ongoing tensions over how satire, political critique, and broadcast obligations intersect in a polarized political climate. The report notes the remarks originate from a Daily Mail coverage of the incident and related commentary, highlighting that the conversation has spread across multiple outlets.

As the debate continues, lawyers, lawmakers and broadcasters are likely to scrutinize the standards used to determine when a network may face regulatory intervention for content deemed offensive or inflammatory, and how those standards align with constitutional protections for free speech. The case raises questions about whether pressure from federal regulators can effectively silence prominent voices, and what safeguards ensure that democratic discourse remains robust even amid controversy.