KAMALA HARRIS CALLS ABC'S PAUSE OF JIMMY KIMMEL AN ‘OUTRIGHT ABUSE OF POWER,’ SAYS TRUMP USES ‘FEAR AS A WEAPON’.(PHOTO).

 Kamala Harris calls ABC's pause of Jimmy Kimmel an ‘outright abuse of power,’ says Trump uses ‘fear as a weapon’

Former Vice President Kamala Harris has thrown her support behind Jimmy Kimmel amid his ABC suspension.

On Thursday, Harris criticized the network’s indefinite pause of Jimmy Kimmel Live! as “an outright abuse of power,” warning that media companies were “capitulating” while President Trump “is attacking critics and using fear as a weapon.”

“What we are witnessing is an outright abuse of power,” Harris wrote on social media. “This administration is attacking critics and using fear as a weapon to silence anyone who would speak out. Media corporations — from television networks to newspapers — are capitulating to these threats. We cannot dare to be silent or complacent in the face of this frontal assault on free speech. We, the People, deserve better.”

The suspension followed comments Kimmel made during a Monday monologue about the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Kimmel suggested the killer was politically aligned with the right, though later reporting indicated the suspect may have leaned left and was motivated by personal concerns. Conservative critics, including FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, pressed ABC and its affiliates, leading Nexstar and Sinclair to preempt the show on their stations.

Sinclair later demanded that Kimmel apologize to Kirk’s family and make financial donations to them and Turning Point USA, though Kimmel has consistently condemned the killing and never disparaged the family.

Harris is among a growing chorus of politicians, celebrities, and media figures defending Kimmel and free speech. Members of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA protested outside Disney in Burbank, and fellow late-night host Jon Stewart announced a special broadcast in solidarity with Kimmel. ABC has confirmed that the suspension is not permanent.