Jimmy Kimmel Thanks Ted Cruz, Ben Shapiro, Candace Owens, Other Conservatives For Defending His Right to Free Speech: It Takes Courage'

"Maybe most of all, I want to thank the people who don't support my show and what I believe, but support my right to share those beliefs anyway. People who I never would have imagined, like Ben Shapiro, Clay Travis, Candace Owens, Mitch McConnell, Rand Paul, even my old pal Ted Cruz, who believe it or not said something very beautiful on my behalf."

"But let me tell you, if the government gets in the business of saying, We don't like what you the media have said, we're going to ban you from the airwaves if you don't say what we like,' that will end up bad for conservatives."

Public thanks were extended to conservative commentators and politicians, including Ben Shapiro, Clay Travis, Candace Owens, Mitch McConnell, Rand Paul and Ted Cruz, for defending free-speech rights following a temporary ABC suspension of a late-night show. A clip of Ted Cruz acknowledged disagreement with the program's content while warning that government regulation to ban media for disfavored speech would harm conservatives. A humorous acknowledgement of the odd alliance followed, including a joke about Cruz and the Smurfs. The conservatives' willingness to speak out against perceived government overreach was praised as courageous and deserving of credit.

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