Pritzker Cries Censorship for Jimmy Kimmel, But Abandons Illinois Reporter Who Honored Charlie Kirk

The governor rushed to defend a Hollywood millionaire, yet said nothing when Springfield’s Beni Rae Harmony—who once worked for Kirk and called him a mentor—was suspended for a simple tribute.

By Staff Reporter | September 18, 2025

The stage lights of Hollywood dimmed this week when ABC abruptly suspended “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” indefinitely, after the comedian mocked the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in a monologue that critics blasted as grotesque. Within minutes of the network’s decision, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker leapt to X, formerly known as Twitter, with a fiery defense.

“A free and democratic society cannot silence comedians because the President doesn’t like what they say,” he proclaimed.

But here’s the problem: when conservatives across America—and even in Pritzker’s own state—faced censorship, suspensions, and career-ending punishments for their words, the governor’s voice was nowhere to be found.

The contradiction is glaring. Pritzker’s outrage for a millionaire entertainer in Hollywood stands in sharp relief against his silence for ordinary Americans who paid dearly for exercising the same right to speak.

A Monologue Too Far

Kimmel’s comments came Monday night, in the aftermath of Kirk’s assassination, when emotions across the nation were raw. Instead of solemn reflection, Kimmel went for the punchline.

“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 sneered, before mocking Trump’s grief as “the way a 4-year-old mourns a goldfish.”

But prosecutors quickly shattered Kimmel’s narrative. In court filings and statements, the lead prosecuting attorney revealed that the shooter was not a MAGA supporter at all — he had been radicalized by far-left ideology, consumed extremist material online, and expressed hostility toward conservatives. In other words, the truth was the exact opposite of the picture painted from Kimmel’s stage.

The blowback was swift. Nexstar, the largest owner of local ABC affiliates, declared Kimmel’s words “offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse.” Within hours, ABC issued a corporate press release announcing Kimmel’s suspension. Sinclair Broadcasting, another major station group with dozens of local affiliates, went further—demanding Kimmel apologize to Kirk’s family and donate to his causes before returning to the air.

Local Broadcasters Push Back

What makes this moment historic isn’t just the suspension—it’s who made it happen. For decades, New York and Hollywood dictated what aired on America’s television screens. But this time, local broadcasters revolted.

Bound by FCC licensing requirements to serve “the public interest,” Nexstar and Sinclair defied Disney, ABC’s parent company, and pulled the plug themselves.

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr hailed it as a watershed moment:

“Unprecedented… a turning point in media. I can’t imagine another time when we’ve had local broadcasters tell a national programmer like Disney that your content no longer meets the needs and the values of our community.”

It was a declaration of independence from the cultural gatekeepers. Local affiliates were no longer willing to be megaphones for one-sided politics disguised as entertainment.

Where Was Pritzker When Conservatives Were Silenced?

Yet as this battle over speech erupted, Pritzker positioned himself not with the people demanding balance, but with the celebrity punished for crossing a line. And that raises the central question: where was he when conservatives faced far harsher punishments for far less?

• When Trump was permanently banned from X (then Twitter) in 2021, stripped of his ability to speak to the public, where was Pritzker? Silent.

• When conservative journalists like James O’Keefe were deplatformed for exposing uncomfortable truths, where was Pritzker? Silent.

• When CNN spent years peddling the Russia collusion hoax—later discredited—where was Pritzker? Silent.

• And closer to home, when Springfield reporter Beni Rae Harmony was suspended just recently for posting a respectful tribute to Charlie Kirk on social media, where was Pritzker? Silent.

Harmony’s case is especially damning. She wasn’t mocking, dividing, or sensationalizing. She was honoring a man she once worked for and considered a mentor. Her tribute was heartfelt, personal, and sincere. For that, she was punished. Yet the governor who claims to champion free speech had nothing to say.

Only now—when a liberal ally is threatened—does he suddenly rediscover the value of expression.

“Where was Pritzker when conservatives were being erased? Silent. But when a liberal ally faces consequences, suddenly he’s the free speech warrior.” one Illinois conservative remarked.

NBC’s Retreat from MSNBC

Pritzker’s selective outrage is only one part of a bigger story: the collapse of public trust in legacy media. Even networks themselves are admitting it. NBC, long one of the most powerful names in television, has quietly begun plans to distance itself from MSNBC—its cable news arm that for years acted as the Democrats’ loudest megaphone.

Executives aren’t doing this out of principle. They’re doing it because Americans have tuned out. After years of pushing the Russia collusion hoax, framing January 6 as endless political theater, and mocking conservatives nightly, MSNBC bled viewers and credibility. Polling shows the damage: Gallup and Pew both report historic lows in trust for television news, with independents walking away in droves.

Now NBC wants to bury the MSNBC brand altogether, hoping a fresh coat of paint will erase years of bias. But the public knows better. A rebrand doesn’t fix dishonesty. It only proves that networks see their product as so tainted they’d rather rename it than reform it.

A Media Reckoning

Pritzker paints Kimmel’s suspension as a First Amendment crisis. The real crisis is the collapse of trust in the institutions that once claimed to deliver truth.

This is not a new phenomenon. In 2004, Dan Rather’s career imploded when his report on George W. Bush’s military service was exposed as a forgery. In 2020, major outlets and social platforms buried the Hunter Biden laptop story—later proven authentic. Again and again, the media has chosen politics over honesty.

Now the consequences are undeniable. According to Gallup’s 2025 Confidence in Institutions Survey, fewer than 1 in 10 Americans say they have “a great deal” of trust in television news. Pew Research Center confirms the trend: independents and younger viewers are abandoning traditional outlets altogether.

Viewership numbers tell the same story. CNN struggles to keep a million viewers in primetime. MSNBC bleeds younger audiences. ABC’s late-night lineup is in freefall, with sitcom reruns beating Kimmel’s ratings.

The American people are walking away from the product because they know the product is broken.

Courtrooms Expose What Newsrooms Hid

When the press refused to correct itself, the courts stepped in. Trump’s lawsuits have forced networks to admit what they would not on air: that their narratives were lies.

• Trump v. ABC News (2024) – In New York State Court, Trump sued after George Stephanopoulos falsely claimed he was “found guilty of sexual assault.” ABC admitted it couldn’t defend the statement and quietly settled for $16 million. Where was Pritzker then? Silent.

• Trump v. CBS / Paramount (2024) – After a biased Kamala Harris interview, Trump’s lawsuit collided with CBS’s $8 billion Skydance merger. To save the deal, CBS canceled Colbert’s late-night show and settled. Where was Pritzker then? Silent.

• Trump v. CNN (2023–2024) – Defamation suits tied to the Russia hoax forced CNN into settlements totaling tens of millions, revealing fabricated sources. Where was Pritzker then? Silent.

• Pending suits against MSNBC – Lawsuits over false claims about Trump’s election challenges threaten to sink the network further, with NBC already scrambling to rebrand. Where is Pritzker now? Silent.

As one telecom attorney explained:

“From a First Amendment standpoint, Kimmel’s words would’ve been protected. But when networks distort the truth and lie, that’s where the lawsuits nail them.”

The courtroom, not the newsroom, has become the last refuge of truth.

The Illinois Angle

And here’s what makes Pritzker’s grandstanding so galling: his own state is in crisis.

• Seniors in Illinois are struggling to afford housing, food, and medicine.

• Crime continues to spread in Chicago’s neighborhoods.

• State finances are strained under his leadership.

• And a young reporter, Beni Rae Harmony, lost her job in Springfield for nothing more than honoring her mentor Charlie Kirk.

Where was Pritzker then? Silent.

But when a Hollywood comedian with collapsing ratings is suspended, suddenly the governor springs into action, casting himself as a champion of democracy.

Conclusion: Pritzker’s Hollow Defense

Governor Pritzker’s rush to frame Kimmel’s suspension as censorship ignores the truth. Kimmel wasn’t silenced because government agents dragged him away. He lost his platform because the business of media finally caught up with him: plummeting ratings, alienated viewers, regulatory pressure, and a parent company more concerned about billion-dollar mergers than defending late-night comedy.

Trump, never one to mince words, put it bluntly:

“Kimmel had less talent than Colbert, and now he has less of a show. Great news for America.”

And the hypocrisy runs deepest in Springfield. When Beni Rae Harmony was suspended for a simple tribute to Charlie Kirk—a man she once worked for and considered a mentor—Pritzker said nothing. Not one word in defense of her free speech. But when Jimmy Kimmel, a Hollywood millionaire, faced consequences, Pritzker couldn’t post fast enough on X.

The American people see through it. They know the media doesn’t speak for them anymore. And they know leaders like Pritzker aren’t defending principle—they’re defending their side’s privilege.

Free speech isn’t a partisan luxury. It’s an American right. And it’s time politicians like Pritzker stop pretending otherwise.

Sources:

• Governor J.B. Pritzker, official press statement (Governor’s Office / X, Sep. 17, 2025)

• Federal Communications Commission, public statements and speeches by Chairman Brendan Carr (2025)

• FCC Licensing Records, Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair Broadcast Group (public filings)

• ABC / Disney corporate press release, Sep. 17, 2025 (Jimmy Kimmel Live! suspension)

• Nexstar Media Group public statement, Sep. 17, 2025 (affiliate pre-emption decision)

• Gallup, Confidence in Institutions Survey (2025)

• Pew Research Center, News Media and Public Trust Data (2024–2025)

• Prosecutor’s office statements, Kirk assassination case (2025)

• Court filings: Trump v. ABC News (NY Sup. Ct. 2024), Trump v. CBS/Paramount (D.C. Cir. 2024), Trump v. CNN (Fla. Cir. Ct. 2023–24)