"Driving the news: MAGA's digital army - backed by the Trump administration - has scoured the internet to find and report comments celebrating or mocking Kirk's killing, resulting in hundreds of firings. The campaign reached a crescendo when ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel after his remarks about Kirk, following FCC Chairman Brendan Carr's warning that the network could face consequences if it failed to act."
"The other side: MAGA strenuously denies any hypocrisy on its part. "Jimmy Kimmel wasn't funny, his ratings were in the toilet, and his advertisers were revolting. Also the bellyaching from the left over 'free speech' after the Biden years fools precisely no one," Vice President Vance posted Friday. Other Trump supporters call it "accountability culture" - claiming that punishing those who mocked Kirk is different from conservatives losing jobs over COVID-19 vaccine mandates or refusals to use preferred pronouns in the workplace."
"The big picture: The post-Kirk phenomenon is just one example of MAGA appearing to walk back stances it fought tooth and nail for while Democrats were in power. 1. Government intervention: For years, conservatives blasted what they saw as a rising socialist impulse on the left. Yet Trump has expanded Washington's hand in the private sector - cutting deals that give the U.S. government a direct stake in companies such as U.S. Steel and Intel, and pressuring others to align with his agenda."
MAGA's digital army, supported by the Trump administration, searched online for comments celebrating or mocking Kirk's killing and reported them, contributing to hundreds of firings. The campaign intensified when ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel after FCC Chairman Brendan Carr warned of consequences if the network did not act. Many MAGA influencers celebrated the suspension, angering liberals who accused them of embracing cancel culture. Kimmel was later reinstated and plans to address the controversy on his show. MAGA denies hypocrisy, with supporters calling the actions accountability and distinguishing them from past conservative job losses over mandates or pronoun disputes. The episode is presented as part of a broader pattern of MAGA reversing previous stances, including expanded government involvement in private industry framed as dealmaking to counter globalization.
Read at Axios
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