The philosophy “I disagree with what you say, but will defend unto death your right to say it” has been attributed to Voltaire (1694-1778). Subsequently, we have used it to paraphrase the First Amendment to our Constitution. In short, we simply call it “free speech.”

Fast forward 250 years: two (so far) of the late night shows that millions of us have enjoyed regardless of who sat in the White House have been canceled because their hosts said mean things about President Trump. Stephen Colbert was first and his top rated show went on to win the Emmy for best talk show. But going back a couple of months, Colbert’s network, CBS, was being sued by the president because, he contends, the interview show, 60 Minutes, deceptively edited an interview with Kamala Harris to tip the 2024 election for his Democratic rival. Spoiler alert: She lost! CBS caved and settled for $16 million, and continued with its plans for its parent company, Paramount, to merge with Skydance, which the Federal Communications Commission had been reviewing and, therefore, Trump had the power to halt.

Now Jimmy Kimmel has been taken off the air. And according to FCC chair, Brendan Carr, “We’re not done yet.” Kimmel’s cancellation came just hours after Carr suggested that the FCC might take action against ABC and its parent company, Disney, for remarks Kimmel made about the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Coincidentally at roughly the same time, Nexstar Media Group said its ABC affiliated stations would preempt Kimmel’s show for the “foreseeable future.” It’s worth inserting here that Nexstar is seeking regulatory approval from the FCC for its planned $6.2 billion merger with Tegna. And again the President can put in his two cents’ worth.

On Wednesday Trump praised Kimmel’s suspension and said NBC should also cancel their late-night shows (Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers). Asked if the FCC shared this opinion, Carr’s answer was, “I don’t speak for the president.” Well, you weren’t asked about what the president meant, you were asked if the FCC agreed with that opinion. But anyway…

Our right to free speech has been upheld for just about everything short of shouting “Fire” in a crowded theater. The American Civil Liberties Union (accused of being left-wing) has even defended the Ku Klux Klan’s right to demonstrate more than once because they so fervently believe in the right of free speech.

Kimmel’s sin was saying something that turned out to be false. But he was not even given the option of correcting it or apologizing for it. The reason CBS gave for Colbert’s cancellation was “financial”. I guess the $16 million they paid to the president qualifies as that. Colbert was given a 10 month warning, so he’s still on the air till June of 2026. But as we’ve seen, the rules don’t necessarily apply here. At any moment Trump may yell, “Off with his head” and the next victim may fall.

The Daily Show and host Jon Stewart is another target for Trump. But talk shows are not the only ones at risk. Saturday Night Live and South Park are infamous for their anti-Trump material. Those of you who are old enough to remember will laugh out loud recalling Chevy Chase tripping over his own feet mimicking President Gerald Ford. And George W. Bush had his share of detractors among the late night comedians. More recently Joe Biden was often mocked but he never flinched. No president was ever so thin skinned as to have shows canceled that had been on for years before his tenure.

I fear we are at the turning point of our republic. Will those who are brave enough to demonstrate on our streets be targeted next because their signs offend Trump? Will those of us who write these words be put in cells because he didn’t like what we said? Will you have to carefully choose your words when speaking to someone whose political opinion you aren’t sure about?

With TV networks it may all be about the money, but with the rest of us, it’s his delicate sensibilities. Let this serve as your warning.

Oh, and release the Epstein files!

Verna Caruso is a native of Muncy, who now resides in Williamsport. She is a former staff member at Inc. magazine and former Chair of the Lycoming County Democratic Committee.