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Inside Politics
ABC Suspends Jimmy Kimmel After Threats From FCC Chairman; Republicans Target Private Citizens For Charlie Kirk Posts; Harris Says Buttigieg Was Her "First Choice" For Running Mate But The Pairing Was "Too Big Of A Risk"; Music Legends Unite For Farm Aid's 40th Year Celebration. Aired 12:30-1p ET
Aired September 18, 2025 - 12:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[12:32:23]
DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR: President Trump and Vice President Vance are calling for a crackdown on what they call radical left groups they blame for the horrific assassination of Charlie Kirk. Last night, ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel after the FCC chair threatened the company over a joke Kimmel made about MAGA World reaction to Kirk's murder.
Joining me now to discuss this and more is Republican Congressman Randy Fine of Florida. Thank you so much for being here. I appreciate it.
First, what is your reaction to Jimmy Kimmel being taken off the air?
REP. RANDY FINE (R), FLORIDA: Well, look, I think an FCC license is a privilege, not a right. And let me tell you what I did this morning. I didn't do a whole lot of work for my constituents because I was on the phone with the Capitol Police, my local sheriff, the U.S. attorney, and the state attorney about three different death threats that I have gotten.
What happens when Jimmy Kimmel and others behave in this language is they inspire people. And we now know from a poll last week that 24 percent of people who call themselves very liberal, believe assassination is a reasonable response to political discussion. We have got to stop that in our culture.
BASH: Well, first of all, I'm so sorry that you have to deal with that.
FINE: Yes.
BASH: It's terrible. We're hearing the same thing from your Democratic colleagues across the aisle --
FINE: Yes.
BASH: -- that they don't only feel threatened, they are being threatened.
FINE: They are being threatened, and it's not OK.
BASH: And they're being threatened from people on the extreme right and, you know, all over.
FINE: Yes.
BASH: It's a -- it's coming from all sides, which is terrible.
FINE: And to be clear, on that poll, it was 24 percent of very liberal people. It was not 0 percent of very conservative. It was much less --
BASH: Yes.
FINE: -- but it was still there, so I understand.
BASH: And I should just say, I don't think that's a poll that we would put on the air --
FINE: OK.
BASH: -- but it's your right to talk about it. I do want our viewers, and I want you to really listen to what Jimmy Kimmel said Monday night.
(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)
JIMMY KIMMEL, TV HOST AND COMEDIAN: We had some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and doing everything they can to score political points from it. In between the finger pointing, there was grieving.
On Friday, the White House flew the flags at half-staff, which got some criticism. But on a human level, you can see how hard the President is taking this.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My condolences on the loss of your friend, Charlie Kirk. May I ask, sir, personally, how are you holding up over the last day and a half, sir?
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think very good. And by the way, right there, you see all the trucks? They've just started construction of the new ballroom for the White House, which is something they've been trying to get, as you know, for about 150 years, and it's going to be a beauty.
KIMMEL: Yes. He's at the fourth stage of grief, construction. Demolition, construction. This is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he called a friend. This is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish, OK?
(END VIDEOCLIP)
[12:35:15]
BASH: What specifically did you have a problem with in what he said? FINE: I think the first part of it was the troubling part, to say this is MAGA descending to new lows, he was a MAGA person. By the way, you didn't hear anybody laughing by all of that when he made those comments.
BASH: Yes.
FINE: And they're very, very offensive.
BASH: Yes, I mean, he did -- he did say, he said, we hit some new lows over the weekend with MAGA -- the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who was -- who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them. That is specifically what he said.
FINE: Yes.
BASH: And you said the FCC, having an FCC license is a privilege, is the word you used. You think that kind of statement is something that should strip him of the ability to work in a place that is governed by the FCC?
FINE: Well, ABC made the decision to strip him.
BASH: Right, but what --
FINE: But what I would say is this, a broadcast license is a license. Look, I've gone after people in Florida who are making horrific statements, and they are in a position of privilege. If they're a government employee, or they're funded by the government, or they have a government license, these are not rights.
You can say whatever you want, but if you're in a position of government privilege, you should think about it. Obviously, ABC decided that he crossed the line.
BASH: Well, they decided after a very important person, the chair of the FCC, Brendan Carr, said, "We can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to change conduct and take action." And a really important dynamic here is money, and the business merger that one of the biggest ABC affiliate groups, Nexstar, wants.
This is actually the nation's largest TV broadcasting group, has more than 200 stations. They announced a deal to acquire another, TEGNA, $6.2 billion deal that's including debt, and that would require the FCC chair, Brendan Carr, to sign off on it. I mean, it's not just a business decision where they are getting -- necessarily getting complaints from some viewers. It is a business decision, and what they need from the government, which is being very clear, the Trump administration, that they don't want Jimmy Kimmel on the air.
FINE: I think it's more than that. I think that we live in a world where a meaningful percentage of people now believe violence is legitimized, and they get it.
BASH: He didn't legitimize violence.
FINE: They didn't, but those comments blaming MAGA for the death of Charlie Kirk --
BASH: That's not what he did. Listen, I'm not here to defend it a joke on itself --
FINE: That's how I interpreted it.
BASH: But it's not what he said.
FINE: And -- well, that's --
BASH: And that's being interpreted incorrectly.
FINE: I gasped when I heard last night, and I read it, I gasped when I read the comments.
BASH: Right. But did you feel the same way when you heard it?
FINE: So, yes, I mean, I did. I don't think this is happening because he's criticized President Trump. No one has been criticized more, I think, in American history than President Trump. But belittling and making light of what happened to Charlie Kirk, and who did it --
BASH: OK.
FINE: -- is, I think, very dangerous for all of us.
BASH: And when you talk about dangers, is there a danger in the government effectively saying, which was the not-so-veiled threat of the FCC chair, saying, you know, you got to do the right thing here, knowing that this deal is hanging in the balance?
FINE: Here's the speech I'm worried about being censored. Jimmy Kimmel may have lost his job, but Charlie Kirk got killed while he was engaged in political speech. I think that's what people should be worried about.
BASH: Yes.
FINE: And we should all collectively be trying to deal with this endemic that exists, particularly with our young people, that says it is OK to go and shoot people.
BASH: Yes.
FINE: There are people I serve with that I despise personally, but I don't want anyone to hurt them.
BASH: Yes, yes.
FINE: And, unfortunately, there are people who would not agree with that. And that's what we all need to be worried about.
BASH: Yes, no, I couldn't agree more. And I just also want to emphasize that he was murdered in broad daylight, doing exactly --
FINE: Yes. BASH: -- what he preached, which was free speech and engaging with people he doesn't agree with. On that, I want to read our viewers something that you posted --
FINE: OK.
BASH: -- on Sunday. "Those celebrating the death of Charlie Kirk must be thrown out of civil society. If you are aware of anyone in the 6th District of Florida," yours, "or heck, anywhere in the state, who works at any level of government, works for an entity that gets money from government, healthcare university, or holds a professional licensed lawyer, medical professional teacher that is publicly celebrating the violence, please contact my office. I will demand their firing, defunding, and license revocation."
You don't see a potential for a slippery slope there?
FINE: No, because we review everything that comes through. We verify that it's true, and then we reach out to people. And some of the -- the first one that I got sent was a nurse who worked for HCA. I wish I could remember her quote. It would make your stomach turn.
And to think that someone who has a state license to be a nurse who's taking care of people --
BASH: But should a public official like you be mining your constituents to rat out people? Is that something that --
FINE: Absolutely.
[12:40:03]
BASH: OK, but what -- let's just say it was a Democrat saying to -- a Democratic colleague saying to the entire district or the entire state of Florida, please tell me the people who are saying bad things about Joe Biden, Barack Obama during that time.
FINE: Yes.
BASH: You would have been outraged.
FINE: Well, bad things are one thing. But I did have a reporter actually a couple of days ago say to me, well, did you say something like this when those Minnesota politicians were killed? I challenged that reporter. I said, and I'll do the same to you. If you can show me Republicans that are celebrating the death of that person who live in my state --
BASH: Right.
FINE: -- I'll go after them too.
BASH: And nobody is saying that celebrating the death is a good thing. Just the opposite.
FINE: But these people are doing it. BASH: But the question is your role as a elected official, whether you should be taking that kind of action to search for people and whether or not, particularly as somebody who is in a party where the President talks about the need for free speech --
FINE: This isn't free speech. This isn't free speech saying --
BASH: It's not?
FINE: -- Charlie should be killed. I hope more people get killed.
BASH: It's horrible.
FINE: These are people --
BASH: It's horrible.
FINE: And by the way, I made a specific decision not to go after people in their private capacity. If you're a teacher in a public school who says that you should not be teaching our kids, you're a threat to our kids. If you're a nurse saying these things, you're a threat to the people you're taking care of.
The number one job of government is to take care of their constituents and keep them safe. And I think I'm providing constituent service by doing it.
BASH: OK. Well, I would like to -- we're out of time, but I would like to --
FINE: Anytime.
BASH: -- continue this conversation because --
FINE: (INAUDIBLE) to you.
BASH: Thank you, you too. I'm not so sure that you would feel the same way if it was a Democrat, but to be continued.
FINE: All right.
BASH: Thank you.
Coming up, Kamala Harris reveals Governor Walz was not her top VP pick. We're going to tell you who she really wanted and why it ultimately didn't pan out.
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[12:46:23]
BASH: Topping our political radar, it was the biggest decision of her short presidential campaign. But now Kamala Harris is revealing that Tim Walz was not her first choice for 2024 running mate. It was Pete Buttigieg. In an excerpt from her upcoming book, "107 Days," published in the Atlantic, the former vice president says Buttigieg would have been an ideal candidate if he were a, quote, "straight white man."
She writes in part, "We were already asking a lot of America, to accept a woman, a Black woman, a Black woman married to a Jewish man. Part of me wanted to say, screw it, let's just do it. But knowing what was at stake, it was too big of a risk. And I think Pete also knew that -- to our mutual sadness.
Our next guest may end up being Jimmy Kimmel's very last musical guest. Singer-songwriter, Margo Price, joins us to talk about Kimmel and also her upcoming performance for Farm Aid, which you'll see right here on CNN. Stick around.
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[12:51:44]
BASH: It's a legacy 40 years in the making.
(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)
(CHEERING)
WILLIE NILSON, SINGER: Thank you all very much. And welcome to Farm Aid, the concert for America.
(CHEERING)
(END VIDEOCLIP)
BASH: That Willie Nelson moment laid the tracks for an iconic musical movement benefiting farmers across the country. It of course is Farm Aid. Now over the course of four decades, Farm Aid has become more than just a music festival. It's a non-profit that raises millions of dollars to support rural communities.
And on Saturday, Willie Nelson will return to the stage as CNN will bring you Farm Aid's 40th live alongside legendary friends. We're talking about Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and our next guest, Grammy nominated artist and Farm Aid board member, Margo Price.
It's such a pleasure to have you here. Thank you so much for being here. You will perform and you'll see it here on CNN this weekend. You've talked about, and we were just talking in the break about the fact that you grew up on a farm in Illinois. Your family lost that farm. That clearly is the reason why you were drawn to this mission.
MARGO PRICE, SINGER-SONGWRITER AND PRODUCER: Absolutely. My family lost their farm in 1985, which was the year of the first Farm Aid. And I just saw how it affected my family, their mental health.
You know, obviously, everybody had to kind of find different work after that. And it was a multi-generational farm that had been passed down. And it was devastating. And so it feels very full circle to be able to give back.
BASH: And what is the message now, 2025, all these years later, that you want the modern audience to take home Saturday night?
PRICE: Well, I think, you know, the way we eat is, it's very dependent upon your income. And, you know, the middle class is disappearing in this country, unfortunately. Food justice is social justice.
And, you know, there's a handful of corporations that control our food from the farm to, you know, your fork. And it really allows them to manipulate the marketplace and push the prices down. Family farms are just disappearing.
In Tennessee alone, where I live, there's 240 acres a day of farmland disappears. That's something roughly like 10 acres per hour.
BASH: Wow.
PRICE: And, yes, I think, you know, the American dream is like, that, you know, you can have a small business, you can have a small family farm and that's disappearing. It's --
BASH: Yes.
PRICE: -- almost impossible.
BASH: It is absolutely horrible. And I'm so glad that we're going to help you shine a spotlight on that with this performance on Saturday. I do want to make a turn to your performance on Jimmy Kimmel's show on Tuesday night. Let me just play a bit.
(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)
KIMMEL: For first, her album is called "Hard Headed Woman". Here are the song, "Don't Let The Bastards Get You Down", Margo Price.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEOCLIP)
BASH: So as we listen, you know, it is possible that you were the last musical guest on Jimmy Kimmel's show.
[12:55:08]
Last night when it was announced that his show was pulled indefinitely, here's what you wrote. I'll show our viewers. "If this was the last word, I'm glad it was mine. Thank you, Jimmy Kimmel."
Your reflections now.
PRICE: You know, I wrote this song because I was inspired by something that Kris Kristofferson said to Sinead O'Connor over 30 years ago. She was criticized and ridiculed for her beliefs. And, you know, I wrote this song just these days, but it's pertinent now more than ever.
I think this is about free speech and viewpoints and people being able to express those viewpoints. And we're losing that right. And that's the very thing that this country was built on. My first ever performance on television was on the Colbert Show. And, you know, these shows are a real platform for music discovery and especially for artists like me that don't fit into obvious like genre lanes or molds. And I have depended on these television platforms to launch my career.
And I just think it's really sad that artists, you know, comedians, musicians, there's -- we're just -- it's disappearing, the places where you can be discovered. And I am grateful that Jimmy let me come on there and sing a song that, you know, maybe is a little controversial, just even with the language inside of it.
But, I mean, it's -- I was writing about the very thing that is happening today. So it's kind of eerie.
BASH: Margo Price, thank you so much. We look forward to seeing you on Saturday.
Don't miss Farm Aid, one of the biggest concert events of the year right here on CNN, Saturday at 7:00 p.m.
Thanks so much for joining Inside Politics. CNN News Central starts after a quick break.
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