The Present Age

The Present Age

The Kimmel Suspension Shows How Fake Authoritarianism Becomes Real

Jamelle Bouie warns that Trump's administration is creating an "illusion" of total control. ABC helped make it reality.

Parker Molloy's avatar
Parker Molloy
Sep 23, 2025
∙ Paid

New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie posted a really important TikTok last month that feels eerily prescient right now.

When he made it, things already felt like they were spiraling out of control. But now? Charlie Kirk was shot and killed. Jimmy Kimmel got yanked off the air for making pretty mild comments about it. People are getting fired left and r…

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