Whoopi Goldberg Defends Jimmy Kimmel Suspension on The View: ‘No One Silences Us’

New York, NY — After two episodes of silence, Whoopi Goldberg and her co-hosts on ABC’s The View finally addressed the controversy surrounding Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension. Fans had speculated that the women were instructed to avoid the subject, but on Monday’s broadcast, Goldberg made it clear: their silence was temporary, not permanent.

“No One Silences Us”

Opening the Sept. 22 episode, Goldberg immediately confronted the speculation:

“Did y’all really think we weren’t going to talk about Jimmy Kimmel? I mean, have you watched the show over the last 29 seasons? No one silences us.”

Goldberg explained that the hosts initially paused to see if Kimmel himself would comment before weighing in. She reminded viewers that while TV shows can face cancellations or suspensions, the government has no right to silence voices:

“Someone can say something they shouldn’t and get taken off the air. But the government cannot apply pressure to force someone to be silenced.”

Co-Hosts Defend Free Speech

The rest of the panel echoed Goldberg’s defense of the First Amendment.

• Ana Navarro: “I don’t understand how in this country, where the First Amendment guarantees freedom of the press and freedom of speech, the government itself is using its weight and power to bully and scare people into silence.”

• Alyssa Farah Griffin: “The First Amendment is the first for a reason, because you need to be able to hold those in power accountable.”

Goldberg closed the segment with a unifying message:

“We fight for everybody’s right to have freedom of speech because it means my speech is free, it means your speech is free.”

FCC Pushback Raises Eyebrows

The debate over The View’s silence intensified after FCC Chairman Brendan Carr suggested that the commission should investigate whether The View qualifies as a “bona fide news program.” While many late-night comedy shows enjoy such classification, Carr questioned whether the same should apply here.

His comments, made during a Sept. 18 radio appearance, only fueled speculation that government pressure may have played a role in silencing Kimmel and potentially targeting The View.

Hollywood Stands Behind Kimmel

While ABC kept quiet, many high-profile hosts and comedians quickly condemned Kimmel’s suspension:

• Stephen Colbert blasted the move as “blatant censorship to appease Donald Trump.”

• Jimmy Fallon vowed never to stop mocking Trump, even if it risked The Tonight Show facing censorship.

• David Letterman warned that this marks the rise of “managed media,” calling the decision “ridiculous” and “silly.”

• Howard Stern went a step further, canceling his Disney+ subscription in protest:

  “When the government says, ‘I’m not pleased with you, so we’re going to orchestrate a way to silence you,’ it’s the wrong direction for our country.”

The Larger Fight for Free Speech

The controversy has sparked nationwide debate over the boundaries of free speech, political pressure, and media independence. With Goldberg and her co-hosts now speaking out, The View has firmly positioned itself as a defender of free expression — even when it lands them in hot water.

As Goldberg declared to the audience:

“No one silences us.”