Today, on an episode of USA Today’s Connecting America podcast, hosted by Alisyn Camerota, Jim Rosenfield, and Dave Briggs, Media Research Center President Brent Bozell joined to discuss free speech and the fallout from Jimmy Kimmel’s controversial monologue falsely linking Charlie Kirk’s shooter to the MAGA movement. The exchange grew heated, with the hosts — representing a clearly non-conservative platform — frequently interrupting Bozell. Despite this, he stood his ground, delivering sharp, fact-based responses that exposed the flaws in their arguments.
Camerota opened by questioning whether Kimmel’s monologue was protected free speech, given MRC’s advocacy for it: “Wasn’t Jimmy Kimmel … expressing free speech?” Bozell fired back: “Jimmy Kimmel lied through his teeth. And Wolf Blitzer was woefully misinformed about characterizing the assassin as a member of MAGA.” He stressed that Kimmel’s claim was baseless, noting Utah Governor Spencer Cox had debunked similar assertions on CNN with Blitzer the previous day.
Rosenfield pressed Bozell on former President Trump’s suggestion that networks could lose licenses: “Should some networks lose their licenses, as the President suggested?” Bozell countered by emphasizing market dynamics, highlighting how ABC affiliates, like Nexstar in Chicago, faced customer backlash: “Nexstar’s biggest affiliate is Chicago. And their phone lines are getting melted by their customers who don’t want to see this stuff broadcast through their television screens anymore.”
Camerota insisted lies are protected speech: “You’re allowed to actually lie with freedom of speech, right?” Bozell stood firm: “You’re also allowed to be canceled for lying.” Camerota followed with “Shouldn’t Jimmy Kimmel be able to express his satire and his opinion on this?” Bozell said that Kimmel was given an opportunity to clarify his remarks. “According to the Hollywood Reporter, he wanted to double down.” Bozell also clarified that Kimmel’s team vetted the monologue. “That joke was prepared in advance, vetted by writers and the production team.”
MRC’s @DavidBozell joins Connecting America to fight back on the false narrative that Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension was an attack on free speech. pic.twitter.com/2Vqf860wdr
— Media Research Center (@theMRC) September 19, 2025
Rosenfield read Kimmel’s quote — “The MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them” — claiming it didn’t label the shooter as MAGA. Bozell dismantled this: “No one in MAGA lifted a finger to try to characterize the kid as anyone other than one of MAGA because he wasn’t. He never was. The characterization that the political right spent any second trying to defend ourselves against this accusation is wrong. He’s flat out wrong.”
Briggs asked if FCC involvement weakened conservative anti-cancel culture arguments. Bozell responded: “The FCC’s charter is to protect the public interest. And to be a voice for the broadcasters as well.” He noted affiliates likely consulted FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr for legal options, not content control, as “these affiliates have obligations to their constituents, i.e., their customers.”
Rosenfield cited a Wall Street Journal critique, but Bozell dismissed it, noting Murdoch’s biases and that 60 markets rejected Kimmel’s rhetoric: “Jimmy Kimmel had a wonderful opportunity … He could have invited Megyn Kelly … Tucker Carlson … Erica Kirk. It would have been a ratings buster. They would have had an awesome conversation about getting to know who Charlie Kirk was. Instead, Kimmel took the time to make a slanderous comment about what MAGA may or may not be.”
Rosenfield’s closing revealed the hosts’ bias: “Charlie Kirk, unlike the conservative movement at the moment, loved debate, which is not being encouraged by the people trying to honor his legacy.” This swipe painted conservatives as anti-debate, underscoring the liberal tilt Bozell skillfully navigated, reinforcing MRC’s mission to challenge such distortions.
Connecting America is a new national program that “aims to truly connect everyday people and is dedicated to showcasing ideas and embracing civil conversation,” streaming live weekdays from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. ET.
