Trump’s FCC has tried and failed to silence Jimmy Kimmel before, and the backlash was swift.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In response to the news that ABC pulled Jimmy Kimmel’s interview with Texas Senate candidate James Talarico, citing threats from President Trump’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC), MoveOn Political Action Chief Communications Officer Joel Payne released the following statement:

“Donald Trump is trying to censor James Talarico because Ken Paxton is a lazy and corrupt candidate whom even Texas Republicans don’t trust. Republicans are scared of the momentum behind Talarico and how he is energizing Texans with his vision to lower prices and hold corrupt politicians like Paxton accountable.

Only authoritarian governments try to control the media and silence critics. The FCC has desperately tried and failed to silence Kimmel before—it only made Kimmel and his viewers more powerful. Trump’s petty grievances and overreach continue to animate MoveOn’s 427,000 members in Texas, who are ready to turn out in record numbers and reject him and Paxton in November.”

A MoveOn Civic Action petition calling for Disney and ABC to protect free speech and denouncing Trump’s FCC for pressuring ABC to suspend “Jimmy Kimmel Live” has more than 300,000 signatures and counting.

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MoveOn is a people-powered force for progress. MoveOn mobilizes the left to enact progressive change. We are the home base for millions of members who refuse to accept the status quo and are moved to take action. For more than a generation, MoveOn has been a bulwark against the radical right, channeling our voices to end wars, protect democracy, and advance justice for all.