On Monday, Zohran Mamdani, a candidate for mayor in New York City, revealed that he would not attend a town hall meeting hosted by a local ABC station. This decision came shortly after ABC placed late-night host Jimmy Kimmel on suspension.
Mamdani explained that his choice to pull out stems from ABC’s controversial move to take Kimmel’s show off air, prompted by the backlash following Kimmel’s remarks regarding the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
He stated, “I am stepping back, not as a critique of the local news team or the dedicated journalists at WABC, but as a protest against corporate decision-makers prioritizing profit over the essential principle of press freedom.”
Originally, Mamdani was set to participate in the town hall being organized by WABC-TV, the local ABC network. However, he will now skip the event. At 33, Mamdani is in a competitive race against prior Governor Andrew Cuomo, current Mayor Eric Adams, and Republican challenger Curtis Sliwa as the city heads towards elections this November.
Later that same day, ABC announced they were reinstating Kimmel, stating that thoughtful discussions had taken place. He is expected to be back in his hosting seat on Tuesday.
After Kimmel’s reinstatement announcement, Mamdani’s campaign team was quick to respond, though they did not provide immediate comments.
Last week, Kimmel was put on hold by ABC after concerns from broadcasters Nexstar and Sinclair led them to refuse airing his show. Notably, FCC Chair Brendan Carr threatened punitive actions against the network if Kimmel remained unpunished. The move has been praised by Republican former president Donald Trump, who called Kirk a “great American hero.”
Kimmel’s show featured comments regarding the backlash against Kirk’s killing, including expressing that “many in MAGA land are working very hard to capitalize on the murder of Charlie Kirk.” The late-night host has yet to issue a public statement since his suspension.
The entire situation has sparked debates on the subjects of free speech and censorship. An open letter signed by over 430 individuals in the entertainment industry was released by the American Civil Liberties Union, labeling Kimmel’s suspension as “a dark moment for freedom of speech in our country.”
Mamdani emphasized in his comments that such suspensions send a concerning message: the First Amendment’s protections may no longer be trusted, indicating that it could be the government deciding what is permissible to discuss or express publicly.
