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lite.cnn.com - on gopher - inofficial
ARTICLE VIEW:
Analysis: Caught between Kimmel and Trump, Bob Iger faces a no-win
situation
Analysis by Brian Stelter, CNN
Updated:
8:22 PM EDT, Sat September 20, 2025
Source: CNN
At ABC’s annual presentation for advertisers last year, Jimmy Kimmel
looked over to his boss, Disney CEO Bob Iger, and made light of
Iger’s return to the company after stepping down from the CEO post in
2020.
“Bob Iger, this guy, he should be retired by now,” Kimmel joked.
“You should be off on a yacht somewhere!”
Seriously, though, that yacht probably sounds pretty good to Iger right
now. Remaining in retirement wasn’t really an option for the restless
Iger. But some fellow execs are wryly wondering if he regrets being
back on top right now.
Iger, 74, who once wanted to run for president against Trump, is in a
no-win situation with Kimmel on one side, Trump on the other, and
Disney’s reputation at stake. Three full days have now passed without
a publicly announced resolution.
Walt Disney’s original vision was all-American, right down to the
flags along Main Street USA, and the company now exports Americana all
around the world. But you know what else is all-American? The First
Amendment. And Kimmel’s suspension amid government pressure has
turned Disney into a movie-ready villain in the eyes of many consumers.
Disney so cherishes its squeaky-clean brand that it doesn’t even let
trash linger on the ground at Disneyland. But now there are free speech
protesters picketing outside the theme park. One sign at last night’s
rally in Anaheim called it “the happiest place on Earth — as long
as you comply.”
Here’s what’s weighing on Disney
“ABC stands for Always Be Caving,” Bill Maher said on “Real
Time” last night, calling to mind his own experience being canceled
by the network in 2002.
While I’m skeptical that the calls to boycott Disney+ and Hulu will
really hurt the company’s bottom line, the anti-ABC protests and
ongoing news coverage reflect the possibility of long-term reputational
damage. shows that a majority of Americans disapprove of Trump. Media
brands that cave to Trump, or appear to do so, risk alienating a huge
swath of the American audience.
As ad industry analyst Brian Wieser , media outlets that “more
aggressively self-censor going forward may turn off viewers who will
further shift their current affairs consumption towards digital
platforms” — including Substack, Bluesky, YouTube and the like. In
other words, capitulating to Trump can accelerate the erosion of
broadcast TV.
Iger, Dana Walden and other Disney execs are surely aware of this.
They’re aware that Disney employees are perturbed, Hollywood
showrunners are outraged, and some of their friends and family members
are horrified about what’s happening in America right now.
But Iger and Co. are also aware that Disney needs government approval
for pending deals like ESPN’s pact with the NFL; that its station
partners are in the same boat; and that crossing Trump can have severe
financial consequences. Plus, Kimmel’s contract is expiring soon, and
late-night TV is a rapidly shrinking business.
I keep trying to that the Trump administration has limited power to
actually follow through on threats to station licenses. Ex-Disney CEO
Michael Eisner was accurate yesterday when he called the threats
“aggressive yet hollow.”
But that doesn’t change the fact that Disney is a “huge company
with a lot of businesses and a lot of things that it works with and
relies on the federal government for,” as Morningstar analyst Matthew
Dolgin . And as veteran TV reporter Joe Adalian points out in titled
“Iger’s Choice,” two “Trump-loyal station groups” may not
budge when it comes to Kimmel.
So if there is a way for Iger to “win” here, I sure don’t see it.
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