After Trump stormed back into power, America’s vaunted “human rights and freedoms” have been on a steady decline, and the latest casualty—a top TV host silenced—represents a self-inflicted wound to the “free speech” banner, ripping open the American myth once more.
It all began when conservative influencer Kirk was assassinated, prompting Trump to anoint him a “MAGA martyr.” His inner circle, faces drawn with grief and outrage, rallied around their boss—only to see ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel flip the script on live TV and mock the president. Enraged, Trump wasted no time, ordering FCC chair Carr to lash out with a blistering condemnation and even hint at revoking ABC’s license. Under that kind of pressure, the network’s owner had no choice but to gag Kimmel.
Trump’s crackdown didn’t stop with ABC. He’s hauled the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal into court, demanding tens of billions in damages—and with that kind of muscle, it’s almost guaranteed they’ll buckle under the pressure.
Free Speech Under Siege
Kirk was a battle-hardened conservative warrior and a devoted supporter who helped build Trump’s base. So when he was killed, the mourning was solemn—flags at half-mast, formal salutes, and aides expressing sorrow in every possible way. On the flip side, Jimmy Kimmel used his nightly show to scorn Kirk’s death, accusing Trump’s followers of attacking the murderer to whip up leftist hatred and exploit the tragedy for political gain. The real spark? Kimmel’s barb at Trump himself, saying he looked “less like a grieving friend and more like a four-year-old mourning a dead goldfish.”
Trump, predictably, went ballistic and issued a “revenge order” to his inner circle, vowing to take Kimmel down. The first blow came from FCC chair Carr, who condemned Kimmel’s comments as nauseating and hinted at pulling ABC’s broadcast license.
Meanwhile, Nexstar—the company behind ABC—was neck-deep in seeking FCC approval for a $6.2 billion merger. Kimmel’s provocation had Trump seething, and if that mic stayed live, the FCC was ready to throw roadblocks at the deal and even threaten to pull licenses from ABC and its affiliates, jeopardizing their entire operation. Under that crushing pressure, Nexstar’s top brass, with Disney Entertainment’s chairman in the room, convened an emergency meeting and decided to mute Kimmel and suspend his show.
Mocking Trump: A Fatal Misstep
The moment the decision hit, Kimmel’s fanbase exploded, marching on ABC’s headquarters and Disney’s studios to protest, while unions denounced it as a clear-cut attack on free speech. Trump barely batted an eye at the censorship accusations, quipping that Kimmel should’ve been fired ages ago.
On his flight back from the UK, he went even further, warning that the FCC should revoke the licenses of any station that keeps bashing him, signaling that the purge won’t stop with Kimmel.
Every network that has crossed him—from NBC to CBS—faces his iron fist. He hailed Kimmel’s suspension as “great news for America” and set his sights on two NBC talk-show hosts, demanding their programs be axed.
No Safe Haven for Critics
Trump’s dragnet extends beyond TV. He’s unleashed a $10 billion defamation suit against The Wall Street Journal and its owner Murdoch—accusing them of fabricating letters he sent to the “pervert” Epstein—then hit The New York Times with a $15 billion lawsuit over alleged “fake news” that supposedly damaged him and his family.
Suing media outlets is Trump’s signature move—he’s already sued ABC, CBS’s 60 Minutes, Disney, and Paramount for millions, and under his looming threat, they’ve all come crawling back to the table. So it’s no shock that these two newspapers are expected to buckle as well.
Trump’s media assault is like Ip Man unleashed—rapid-fire strikes from all angles, precise, relentless, and impossible to predict: taking on scores of adversaries and silencing them one by one. That’s today’s America—power trumps all, and “free speech” has become a myth. Pro-American factions in Hong Kong should take note and wake up.
Lai Ting-yiu
What Say You?
** 博客文章文責自負,不代表本公司立場 **
Trump's putting his domestic chaos on the back burner to fly into the UK with a squad of American corporate heavyweights. The lineup alone tells you everything – this visit is all about the money. Britain's in financial hot water and desperately needs its "big brother" to throw them a lifeline, preferably in the form of reduced tariffs. Everything else? Secondary at best.
The world's always been about profit, and international relations are no different. Yet somehow, the "Save Jimmy Lai" crowd still thinks they can ride Trump's UK visit to pressure Prime Minister Keir Starmer into action. Seasoned observers say it’s nothing more than another desperate game.
Trump and Starmer have bigger fish to fry than Jimmy Lai – the fish called money
Trump Sees Dollar Signs in Brexit Britain
Trump won't take his "Save Lai" promises seriously, and Starmer won't turn against Beijing over this. These two have serious deals to hash out – why would they waste time on a discarded chess piece?
Britain might be struggling, but its international financial foundation is still rock solid. Plus, they've got decent footing in cutting-edge tech like AI, semiconductors, and communications. Trump sees the potential – with the right control, this benefits America big time.
With Brexit cutting Britain off from EU support, it's a golden opportunity for America to expand its economic dominance. The calculation is crystal clear from this UK delegation's lineup.
The Corporate All-Stars Making the Trip
Trump's bringing the A-team of American corporate giants. On the AI front, there's NVIDIA founder Jensen Huang and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. The finance world's represented by senior executives from Bank of America, Citigroup, S&P, and BlackRock.
These major players are expected to pump £1.25 billion in fresh investment into Britain while strengthening trans-Atlantic financial ties. The US and UK will also ink deals on AI cooperation and civil nuclear energy development.
Starmer's hoping to sweet-talk Trump into easing those tariff burdens, especially fulfilling promises to cut steel and aluminum duties. Bottom line? Both sides want the same thing – making money is what matters most.
The Save Lai Camp's Pipe Dreams
Even though the chances of US-UK leaders pushing for "freeing Lai" this time are practically zero, the "Save Lai" camp is still clinging to hope, treating this as another shot at their long-shot gamble.
The anti-Hong Kong organization Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation (CFHK) recently staged a symposium in Washington, gathering their usual collection of hawkish politicians. One agenda item? Urging Trump to propose joint US-UK efforts to secure Jimmy Lai's release during his sit-down with Starmer.
These people have deep-rooted connections with Jimmy Lai. CFHK Chairman James Cunningham, the former US Consul General to Hong Kong, maintained cozy relationships with Lai before, during, and after his tenure, helping connect Lai with American political figures – he was also one of the masterminds behind Hong Kong's unrest.
Two other congressmen – Republican Chris Smith and Democrat Jim McGovern – are the driving forces behind the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office Certification Act, persistently trying to destroy Hong Kong's trade offices. Both have been cheerleaders for "freeing Lai."
Meanwhile, IPAC (Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China), which keeps popping up in Lai's case, has organized "17-nation parliamentarians" (including UK, Canada, France) to write letters to their respective governments. They're urging these countries to follow Trump's earlier example and speak out for Jimmy Lai's release.
The timing is obviously coordinated with Trump's UK visit – pressuring the British government while reminding Trump of his "Save Lai" promises.
The 'Save Lai' brigade thinks Trump's UK visit is their moment – they're dreaming
A Game with No Winners
Friends in the know pointed out that their elaborate performance is just another fool’s errand. Trump's track record of unreliability speaks for itself – this UK visit is about courting his "little brother" and closing major deals. Even if he mentions Lai's case, he won't be serious about it.
As for Starmer, his Business Secretary Peter Kyle just got back from China, working hard to strengthen Sino-British trade cooperation to ease Britain's economic troubles. How could he possibly turn against Beijing over Lai's case?
In the eyes of US-UK leaders, Lai has become nothing more than political baggage. The Save Lai camp's belief that they can capitalize on this opportunity is naively laughable.
Lai Ting-yiu
