White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt appeared on Kayleigh McEnany’s Fox News program Saturday in America to respond to former President Barack Obama’s criticism of the indefinite suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live.

Obama had posted on X that the current administration’s alleged threats against media companies to muzzle or fire reporters represented dangerous government coercion, warning it undermined First Amendment protections.

Leavitt strongly disagreed, saying, “With all due respect to former President Obama, he has no idea what he’s talking about.” She emphasized that the decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel’s show was made solely by ABC executives, not influenced by the White House or President Donald Trump.

Leavitt recounted that she was with President Trump in the U.K. when the news broke and that the president was unaware of the suspension at the time. She criticized Kimmel for “knowingly lying” about the death of a respected figure during a national period of mourning, calling the suspension a consequence of those actions.

Disney, ABC’s parent company, confirmed the indefinite suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live. Several major media groups, including Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair Broadcast Group, announced they would preempt or drop the show on their ABC affiliates, citing controversial remarks made by Kimmel about Charlie Kirk’s alleged assassin.

This development highlights ongoing tensions between media companies, political figures, and content creators over accountability and free speech in the current polarized media landscape.