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 ¡ª 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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