During the recent broadcast of HBO’s Last Week Tonight, John Oliver turned his attention to Disney’s handling of the controversy over the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at ABC. Toward the end of his segment, Oliver shifted from analyzing the week’s events to a direct appeal to Disney’s leadership, especially CEO Bob Iger. Oliver cautioned about the dangers of giving in to political pressures. As he stated on September 21, 2025:“If we’ve learned nothing else from this administration’s second term so far, and I don’t think we have, is that giving the bully your lunch money doesn’t make him go away. It just makes him come back hungrier each time. They are never going to stop. They’ve literally said that openly.”The suspension of Kimmel's late-night show on September 17 occurred after he suggested that Kirk's shooter was a supporter of US President Donald Trump, and said that “many in MAGA land are working very hard to capitalize on the murder of Charlie Kirk.”That broadcast sparked an intense backlash, with Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr condemning it, and major station groups, including Nexstar and Sinclair, pulling the program from the air, forcing ABC and its parent company, Disney, to take action.John Oliver directly addresses Disney CEO Bob IgerIn the segment, John Oliver further referred to CEO Bob Iger. He started with a laugh, recalling his past role in The Lion King, and then moved on to sharper criticism. “Hi there, Bob. We haven’t met, but you probably know me as America’s third favorite Zazu. Congratulations on recasting that role, by the way. It was a fun thing to learn about after the fact,” he said.2024 CPJ International Press Freedom Awards (Image via Getty)He also said that the inefficiencies of the current political leaders would be widely reported, but corporate entities like Disney would not escape scrutiny either.“Now, don’t get me wrong, they’re going to come off terribly. But history is also going to remember the cowards who definitely knew better but still let things happen, whether it was for money, convenience or just comfort.”John Oliver admitted that it was not easy to ask a large company to take a risk in the political arena, but he insisted that remaining silent or submissive would only exacerbate the problem. Oliver mentioned the chain reaction that followed when ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! after the comments made by the late-night host. He observed that former President Donald Trump did not take long to escalate the pressure as he posted online. Additionally, John Oliver highlighted that FCC chairman Brendan Carr had suggested that other programs might be targeted next, even mentioning The View as a potential casualty.“After Kimmel’s suspension, Trump posted, ‘That leaves Jimmy and Seth, two total losers on fake news NBC. Their ratings are also horrible. Do it, NBC.’ And Carr hinted that The View might be next. The f**king ‘View!”The Daily Beast @thedailybeastLINKJohn Oliver made a direct plea to Disney’s CEO to tell off Trump with “four key words” in the wake of ABC’s indefinite suspension of Jimmy Kimmel.John Oliver concluded his speech by urging Iger and Disney's leadership to stand up against outside forces rather than surrender.“Look, at some point you’re going to have to draw a line. So I’d argue, why not draw it right here? And when they come to you with stupid ridiculous demands, picking fights that you know you could win in court instead of rolling over, why not stand up and use four key words they don’t tend to teach you in business school.“Not ‘OK, you’re the boss.’ Not ‘Whatever you say goes.’ But instead, the only phrase that can genuinely make a weak bully go away. And that is, ‘F**k you, make me.”As of now, Jimmy Kimmel Live! remains indefinitely suspended by ABC, with no official return date announced.