Trump on Kimmel suspension: ‘He was fired for lack of talent’
When asked by ITV’s Robert Peston about whether free speech is under attack more in the UK or the US, following the indefinite suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s late night show, the president chimed in.
Trump said that Kimmel “had very bad ratings” and “they should have fired him a long time ago.”
“He [Kimmel] said a horrible thing about a great gentleman known as Charlie Kirk,” Trump added. “You can call that free speech or not. He was fired for lack of talent.”
Key events
Trump asks supreme court to allow firing of Fed governor Lisa Cook
The Trump administration has asked the supreme court to let him move ahead with firing Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook – a move without precedent since the central bank’s founding in 1913 – in a legal battle that imperils the Fed’s independence.
Reuters reports that the justice department has asked the justices to lift US district judge Jia Cobb’s 9 September order temporarily blocking the president from removing Cook, a Biden appointee. Cobb ruled that Trump’s claims that Cook committed mortgage fraud before taking office, which Cook denies, likely were not sufficient grounds for removal under the law that created the Fed.
“This application involves yet another case of improper judicial interference with the President’s removal authority – here, interference with the President’s authority to remove members of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors for cause,” the DOJ said in the filing.
Cook took part in the Fed’s highly anticipated two-day meeting in Washington on Tuesday and Wednesday in which the central bank decided to cut interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point, as policymakers responded to concerns about weakness in the job market. Cook was among those voting in favor of the cut announced yesterday.
The US court of appeals for the District of Columbia circuit in a 2-1 ruling on Monday denied the administration’s request to put Cobb’s order on hold. The Trump administration on Tuesday said it would ask the justices to intervene.
“The President lawfully removed Lisa Cook for cause. The Administration will appeal this decision and looks forward to ultimate victory on the issue,” White House spokesperson Kush Desai said on Tuesday.
Congress included provisions in the law that created the Fed to shield the central bank from political interference. Under that law, Fed governors may be removed by a president only “for cause”, though the law does not define the term nor establish procedures for removal. No president has ever removed a Fed governor, and the law has never been tested in court.
DC officials offer varying degrees of pushback against Trump administration in hearing remarks
Chris Stein
Democratic mayor Muriel Bowser has generally sought to avoid antagonizing the Trump administration, even after the president ordered an unprecedented takeover of the police department to fight an alleged crime wave.
She continued that trend in her opening remarks at the House oversight committee’s hearing into the federal district, avoiding comment on the president’s policies while noting crime in the city has fallen.
“Post-covid, we experienced a violent crime spike. In 2023, when I was last here, I explained how we would drive down those trends, and it is working,” she said, pointing to a 53% drop in violent crime in the city compared to 2023.
Other Washington elected officials who appeared alongside Bowser were not so restrained.
“We are a city under siege. It is frustrating to watch this committee debate and vote on 14 bills regarding the District without a single public hearing, with no input from District officials or the public, without regard for community impact nor a shred of analysis, including legal sufficiency or fiscal impact,” Democratic city council chair Phil Mendelson said.
In his remarks, attorney general Brian Schwalb said: “Sending masked agents in unmarked cars to pick people off the streets, flooding our neighborhoods with national guardsmen who are untrained in local policing, attempting a federal takeover of our police force – none of these are durable, long-lasting solutions for driving crime down.”
DC mayor faces lawmakers on House Oversight committee
Chris Stein
The House oversight committee’s hearing with Washington DC mayor Muriel Bowser got under way about an hour ago, and all signs point to it being a predictably partisan affair.
It’s the first appearance by Bowser and other top district officials since Donald Trump took over the police department for a now-expired 30-day period, and ordered federal agents and national guard to patrol its streets. Last week, Republicans on the oversight committee advanced 14 bills to change DC’s criminal laws, almost all of which were opposed by Democrats and city officials.
“The left wing politicians who say that DC does not have a crime problem are either delusional or simply lying to the American people. This body must ensure that the progress made by the President’s recent actions endures,” the oversight committee’s Republican chair James Comer said as the hearing began.
Its top Democrat Robert Garcia hit back by saying that panel should be more concerned by crimes committed by the Trump administration: “Congress should not be undermining the elected representatives and the people of Washington DC, and if the majority today wants to talk about crime in DC, in the district, we’re happy to talk about crime in DC. We know that some of the worst crime and corruption in DC is actually found at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.”
When asked at the press conference about the firing of Peter Mandelson, and whether Trump had any sympathy for the former British ambassador’s termination over his links to Jeffrey Epstein, the president punted the question to Keir Starmer.
“I think maybe the prime minister would be better speaking of that. That was a choice that he made,” Trump said.
In response Starmer kept his answer short: “It’s very straightforward. Some information came to light last week which wasn’t available when he was appointed, and I made a decision about it.”
Earlier this week, Starmer told the BBC that he wouldn’t have appointed Mandelson had he known the full extent of his relationship with the late sex offender.
In September, documents subpoenaed by the House Oversight Committee included a message from Mandelson for Epstein’s 50th birthday, where the former ambassador referred to Epstein as his “best pal”.
Earlier, when Peston asked Trump about when he would use his position to persuade prime minister Netanyahu to stop “the demolition of Gaza City”, “the starvation of Palestine”, and to stop “the killing of civilians”, the president avoided the question almost entirely.
Instead, he pivoted to talking about the impact of the 7 October attack by Hamas. “I can’t forget about it. So I want it to end, but I want the hostages back. I don’t want the hostages used as human shields, which is what Hamas is threatening to do,” Trump said.
Trump on Kimmel suspension: ‘He was fired for lack of talent’
When asked by ITV’s Robert Peston about whether free speech is under attack more in the UK or the US, following the indefinite suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s late night show, the president chimed in.
Trump said that Kimmel “had very bad ratings” and “they should have fired him a long time ago.”
“He [Kimmel] said a horrible thing about a great gentleman known as Charlie Kirk,” Trump added. “You can call that free speech or not. He was fired for lack of talent.”
Trump also just said that the UK’s plan to “recognize a Palestinian state” is “one of the few things” where the two leaders disagree.
“We have to have the hostages back immediately. That’s what the people of Israel want. They want them back. And we want the fighting to stop, and it’s going to stop,” Trump said.
Trump also spent time in his opening remarks remembering the conservative activist Charlie Kirk, his ally who was murdered last week at a campus event at Utah Valley University.
“I told him, I said, ‘Charlie, I think you have a good shot someday at being president’,” Trump said. “I appreciate the many British citizens who have offered their condolences.”
The president confirmed that he’ll be attending the public memorial for Kirk in Arizona on Sunday 21st September, where he’s expected to deliver remarks.
‘Putin has let me down’, Trump says
The president just said that the Kremlin leader, Vladimir Putin, has disappointed him. “He’s let me down, he’s really let me down,” Trump said. “Russia and Ukraine, we’ll get it done … you know war is a different thing. Things happen that are very opposite of what you thought. You thought you were going to have an easy time or a hard time. And it turns out to be the reverse.”
Joint press conference between Donald Trump and Keir Starmer begins
UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, kicks off the press conference with Donald Trump.
“We’ve renewed the special relationship for a new era,” Starmer says. “This afternoon, we’re confirming our status as the first partners in science and technology, ready to define this century together.”
Earlier the pair signed a “tech prosperity deal” which includes billions of dollars in mutual investment from leading technology companies in both countries.
My colleague, Andrew Sparrow, is bringing you the latest developments.
Also today, we’ll be keeping an eye on the latest lines from the first day of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meeting.
This is the vaccine advisory panel which offers recommendations about a slate of crucial inoculations. These recommendations include who should get a particular jab, the age range, the dose and time between shots, as well as any precautions.
According to the schedule, today’s committee meeting will focus on the Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella (MMRV) vaccine, as well as the Hepatitis B vaccine.
A reminder, that health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr replaced all 17 members of the panel earlier this year, and has faced criticism for hand-picking replacements who have spread misinformation about the efficacy of vaccines.
On Wednesday, two ex-leaders at the Centers of Disease Control, including the fired director Susan Monarez, expressed their fears about the outcomes of the upcoming ACIP meetings.
“The stakes are not theoretical. We already have seen the largest measles outbreak in more than 30 years, which claimed the lives of two children. If vaccine protections are weakened, preventable diseases will return,” Monarez said.
Responses to ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ being taken off the air continue to pour in, and the union which represents musicians in the show’s band has called the suspension an example of “state censorship”.
“This act by the Trump Administration represents a direct attack on free speech and artistic expression,” said Tino Gagliardi, the president of the American Federation of Musicians. “It is now happening in the United States of America, not some far-off country. It’s happening right here and right now.”
