When British police arrested an Irish comedian three weeks ago for online posts that they said could incite violence against transgender people, President Trump called it “sad” and “not a good thing” when it comes to free speech in the United Kingdom. “I will just say that in terms of U.K., strange things are happening over there,” the president said after the arrest of Graham Linehan, the writer and anti-transgender activist. “They are cracking down and surprisingly so, and I’ve spoken to the prime minister and let’s see what happens.”But as Mr. Trump sits down with Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday during the second day of his state visit to Britain, his own administration has forced the ouster of one of America’s most recognizable comedians over comments about the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist. The ABC network on Wednesday indefinitely suspended Jimmy Kimmel, the comedian and host of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, after Mr. Kimmel made comments about the aftermath of Mr. Kirk’s death during his opening monologue on Monday night.

Source: The Times September 18, 2025 12:07 UTC