Congressman Byron Donalds accuses opponents of ‘dehumanizing’ rhetoric while defending Disney’s cancellation of Jimmy Kimmel’s show.
In an interview on Newsmax’s “Newsline,” Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) condemned what he called “insane rhetoric” from the political left. The Florida congressman’s comments came after a tense exchange with Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and amidst reports of Disney’s decision to cancel “The Jimmy Kimmel Show.”
Donalds expressed outrage at what he described as attempts by Tlaib and other progressive politicians to “defame and dehumanize” those with whom they disagree. He linked this rhetoric to what he called the “assassination of Charlie Kirk,” an incident he believes demonstrates the dangerous real-world consequences of such political language.
“There are nut jobs out in the country who are listening to her rhetoric, scribbling that stuff, putting it on the casing of bullets and then shooting people,” Donalds stated, urging “good people” to stand up against what he sees as an increasingly radicalized political discourse.
“I want everybody to be safe,” Donalds said, emphasizing a desire for mutual respect even in disagreement. “I recognize the humanity even in the people I disagree with like Rashida Tlaib. I want her to be safe, I want her to be able to go home to her family. Just like I want to do the same to mine.”
However, he maintained that tolerating what he views as dangerous rhetoric is no longer an option. “Enough is enough, we gotta stand firm,” he added. “When good people stand firm against insanity, the right prevails, good people prevail.”
The conversation also turned to Disney’s recent cancellation of “The Jimmy Kimmel Show.” Donalds dismissed claims that the move was politically motivated, attributing it instead to the show’s poor performance.
“Let’s be very clear, his ratings are down. The show is not that good,” he said. The congressman accused Democrats of feigning concern over the First Amendment in this situation, arguing that the modern Democratic Party has historically not supported free speech. “The Democrats don’t care about free speech, they never have—period,” he said, citing instances of Americans being “silenced,” “censored,” and “de-platformed” under previous administrations.
Donalds asserted that Democrats only express concern for free speech when it is politically convenient.
“The arc of history in the modern era is clear: the Democrats don’t care about any of that stuff,” he stated. “They were perfectly fine with the Biden Administration spying on the American people and either de-platforming or censoring the American people. So I’m not listening to them.”
Donalds concluded by reinforcing his belief that the cancellation was a business decision, stating that Kimmel’s “distractions are causing us ads, it’s causing us advertisers, it’s causing our affiliates to drop the show.”
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