Iger’s Integrity

Three years ago, Bob Iger didn’t hesitate to criticize his successor, then-Disney chief executive Bob Chapek, for refusing to speak out against Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill. “A lot of these issues are not necessarily political,” Iger told CNN’s Chris Wallace at the time. “It’s about right and wrong…To me, it wasn’t about politics. It is about what is right and what is wrong, and that just seemed wrong. It seemed potentially harmful to kids.”

Back then, Iger’s remarks cemented his reputation as a corporate leader unafraid to confront political power when he felt principle was at stake.

But now that he has returned to the helm of Disney, Iger is facing his own high-stakes test—and this time, he has chosen a very different path. Rather than standing firm against political intimidation, Disney under Iger has yanked Jimmy Kimmel off the air indefinitely, bowing to pressure from the Trump administration and an aggressive threat from FCC chief Brendan Carr.

Disney’s decision to sideline Kimmel, ABC’s late-night star long known for his comedic jabs at Donald Trump, has sent shockwaves across Hollywood, Washington, and the wider media landscape. Sending a loud signal about whether one of the country’s most powerful media conglomerates is willing to stand up to federal intimidation—or whether it will fold when a political official leans on its business.

The symbolism has been impossible to miss. Michael Eisner, Iger’s predecessor atop Disney, posted a blistering critique on Friday.

“Where has all the leadership gone? If not for university presidents, law firm managing partners, and corporate chief executives standing up against bullies, who then will step up for the First Amendment?” Eisner wrote. “The ‘suspending indefinitely’ of Jimmy Kimmel immediately after the Chairman of the FCC’s aggressive yet hollow threatening of the Disney Company is yet another example of out-of-control intimidation. Maybe the Constitution should have said, ‘Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, except in one’s political or financial self-interest.’ By-the-way, for the record, this ex-CEO finds Jimmy Kimmel very talented and funny.”

The rare public pushback from Eisner only compounded the pressure on Iger amid his own public silence on the matter. Once regarded as the rare chief executive who spoke about principle, Iger now looks like an executive making cold political calculations.

When the angry MAGA reactionaries came for Kimmel last week—fueled by a social media firestorm over his monologue about Charlie Kirk’s killer—Iger faced a choice. He could have stood by ABC’s biggest star and defended Disney’s commitment to free expression. Instead, he capitulated, sidelining Kimmel and signaling to both critics and allies that Disney, like other corporate media owners, will bend when pressured by the federal government.

The fallout has been severe. ABC’s audience is revolting. Protesters have rallied outside Disney’s Burbank headquarters. A wave of Disney+ cancelations has already begun trending under the hashtag #CancelDisney. And inside the creative community, the mood is grim. Writers, producers, and on-air talent privately describe feeling abandoned. If Kimmel can be taken off the air for a mild quip, who’s safe?

“I was shocked, saddened and infuriated by yesterday’s suspension and look forward to it being lifted soon,” wrote Damon Lindelof, the co-creator of the series “Lost,” which aired on ABC. “If it isn’t, I can’t in good conscience work for the company that imposed it.”

To be fair, Iger was facing a difficult situation. Not only was Carr saber-rattling at the FCC, but a revolt was underway among local TV station conglomerates who just so happen to have business before Carr. The station owners, seeking even more consolidation, warned they would pull Kimmel’s program if Disney didn’t take action. Executives at the right-wing Sinclair, which owns dozens of ABC affiliates nationwide, went further, demanding that Kimmel apologize to Kirk’s family and donate to the pro-MAGA Turning Point USA before his show would air again on their stations.

Amid those absurd demands, an emboldened Trump has seized on the moment, openly threatening NBC’s late-night hosts—the last remaining comedians still on broadcast television—and demanded the government yank licenses from any outlet that dares to criticize him.

This is the fraught environment Iger’s decision helped fuel. He may have returned to Disney with closely held principles after Chapek’s unforced errors, but as with the decision to settle Trump’s lawsuit against ABC News for $15 million, his resolve remains an open question.

By suspending Kimmel under political pressure, Iger hasn’t just abandoned its biggest star. He’s signaled that under his leadership, Disney will play ball with the government, even if it means jeopardizing its credibility, alienating its audience, and putting the very principle of free speech at risk.

And now, Iger finds himself staring down a legacy-defining decision. Will he reclaim the values he once championed and defend the independence of Disney’s creative voices? Or will he allow intimidation to set the terms for one of the world’s most powerful media companies?

Either way, the fate of Kimmel—and the reputation of Disney’s media empire—rests squarely in his hands.