Barack Obama is coming out swinging in defense of the First Amendment in the wake of Jimmy Kimmel's TV show suspension ... accusing the Trump administration of trying to silence its critics.
After it was revealed Wednesday night Kimmel's show was suddenly and "indefinitely" suspended by ABC following the host's remarks about the late Charlie Kirk and MAGA, the former President took to X to call out the current administration.
Check it out ... he essentially calls Donald Trump a hypocrite, highlighting how 47 has complained about "cancel culture" for years ... only to jump on the cancel bandwagon when JK said something unfavorable about one of his own.
Obama writes ... "After years of complaining about cancel culture, the current administration has taken it to a new and dangerous level by routinely threatening regulatory action against media companies unless they muzzle or fire reporters and commentators it doesn’t like."
Obama doesn't stop there, either ... accusing the current administration of trying to violate the First Amendment, which protects speech from government censorship.
In a follow-up tweet, Obama writes ... "This is precisely the kind of government coercion that the First Amendment was designed to prevent -- and media companies need to start standing up rather than capitulating to it."
Trump, however, is celebrating Kimmel's suspension. Speaking to the press during a visit to the UK, Trump slammed Kimmel for the "horrible thing" he said about Kirk, and claimed he's "not a talented person."
POTUS added ... "He had very bad ratings, and they should have fired him a long time ago … He was fired for lack of talent."
Kimmel's suspension came months after fellow late-night host Stephen Colbert learned this is his show's final season, having been canceled by CBS and its parent company, Paramount Global.
While CBS/Paramount said the decision was a financial one, the announcement dropped after Colbert notably called out the companies' $16 million settlement with Trump over his "60 Minutes" suit, labeling it a "bribe."
The late-night shake-ups have sent ripples through Hollywood ... with many voicing support for the stars in the aftermath.
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