Catégorie oBox : BuzzNews
The latest subscription cancellation figures for Disney+ and Hulu following the Jimmy Kimmel suspension backlash paint a stunning picture: millions have walked away.
According to the The New York Times, around 3 million U.S. subscribers cancelled their Disney+ accounts and approximately 4 million abandoned Hulu amid what analysts are calling one of the most dramatic subscriber exoduses in recent streaming history.
The Kimmel Controversy: From Suspension to Record-Breaking Return
The controversy surrounding Jimmy Kimmel began on September 15, when the late-night host delivered a monologue reacting to the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. Kimmel criticized Donald Trump’s response to the killing, arguing that the former president was using the tragedy for political gain, remarks that quickly drew outrage from conservative media and Trump supporters.
Just two days later, on September 17, ABC, owned by The Walt Disney Company, abruptly pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live! off the air, citing «ongoing review.» The decision came amid mounting political pressure and complaints reportedly lodged with the Federal Communications Commission. The move was widely seen as a capitulation to political interests, sparking immediate outrage from viewers and fellow entertainers.
Protests erupted outside Disney and ABC studios across several cities. Online, the hashtags #CancelDisneyPlus and #CancelHulu surged as millions of users joined a coordinated boycott against Disney’s streaming platforms. According to analytics firm Antenna, the backlash translated into a staggering wave of cancellations, an estimated 3 million Disney+ and 4 million Hulu subscriptions lost in just a few weeks, effectively doubling both platforms’ churn rates.
«That’s not legal, that’s not American, that is un-American and it is so dangerous.»
6 million viewers
Under growing public and media pressure, Disney announced Kimmel’s reinstatement on September 22, and the show returned to air the following night. Despite initial refusals from some local affiliates to broadcast the episode, Jimmy Kimmel Live! made a triumphant comeback, drawing over 6 million viewers, the program’s highest ratings in nearly a decade.
Speaking with a mix of emotion and defiance, Kimmel tore into the president’s attempts to silence him, describing how the threats extended far beyond a personal attack to include ABC, the constitutional right of free expression, and even the role of the press itself in a functioning democracy.
Kimmel criticized the Trump administration for trying to coerce affiliates who run his show in cities across the country to take it off the air: «That’s not legal, that’s not American, that is un-American and it is so dangerous.»
«The government cannot be allowed to control what we do», added the host on his widely anticipated return.
The debate over free speech
Donald Trump erupted on Truth Social after Jimmy Kimmel’s return to late-night TV, unleashing a furious tirade against both the comedian and ABC. He accused the network of making a «big mistake», mocked Kimmel as talentless, and branded his show «Democrat garbage.»
Kimmel’s suspension and return have since become a flashpoint in the debate over free speech, political influence in entertainment, and the corporate risks of cultural backlash in the streaming era.
Catégories
Trump: «I was damaged very greatly»
Donald Trump announced that he made an «awfully strange decision» by asking the Justice Department to pay him $230 million in damages over the investigations conducted against him.
«It’s awfully strange to make a decision where I’m essentially paying myself.»
-Donald Trump
Trump confirmed that he would personally approve the $230 million request, saying, «I’m the one that makes the decision, and that decision would have to go across my desk,» while admitting that «it’s awfully strange to make a decision where I’m essentially paying myself.»
Trump’s $230 million claim is expected to meet little resistance within the Justice Department, now led by loyal allies. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, Trump’s former defense lawyer, and Civil Division chief Stanley Woodward Jr., who represented several Trump aides, will likely approve it quickly, especially after Pam Bondi fired the agency’s top ethics adviser in July.
Trump Seeks Payback for FBI Probes
Trump is seeking payment for two FBI investigations: the 2016 probe into Russian election interference and possible ties to his campaign, and the 2022 search for classified documents at Mar-a-Lago, his Florida residence and private club. «I was damaged very greatly, and any money I would get, I would give to charity,» Trump explained, justifying his demand for compensation.
In 2016, the FBI launched an investigation into possible Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election and potential links between Moscow and Donald Trump’s campaign. The probe, known as «Crossfire Hurricane,» aimed to determine whether campaign members coordinated with Russia to influence the election’s outcome.
The FBI investigation determined that Russia interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election to influence the outcome in Donald Trump’s favor. However, investigators did not establish sufficient evidence of a criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russian officials. The probe highlighted vulnerabilities in U.S. election security.
«I was damaged very greatly, and any money I would get, I would give to charity,»
40 counts over mishandling classified documents and obstructing justice
In August 2022, the FBI executed a search warrant at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida to recover classified documents taken from the White House. Agents found hundreds of sensitive records, including top-secret files, prompting a federal investigation into potential mishandling of government documents and obstruction of justice.
The Mar-a-Lago investigation concluded that Donald Trump had retained classified government materials after leaving office, including documents related to national security. Prosecutors alleged that he obstructed efforts to retrieve them, leading to federal charges. The case raised significant questions about presidential accountability and the handling of sensitive information.
In 2023, Donald Trump was charged with 40 counts over mishandling classified documents and obstructing justice. The case collapsed in July 2024 when Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed it, ruling Special Counsel Jack Smith’s appointment unconstitutional. In early 2025, remaining charges against Trump’s aides were also dropped, ending the prosecution.
Trump connects DOJ compensation request to $250 million White House renovation
The $230 million dollars request, which shocked many ethics experts, comes as Trump has begun the partial demolition of the White House’s East Wing to build a $250 million ballroom.
I am honored to be the first President to finally get this much-needed project underway — with zero cost to the American taxpayer! The White House Ballroom is being privately funded by many generous patriots, great American companies, and, yours truly.»
Trump, addressing the irony of being both the president and the beneficiary of the payment, remarked, «It sort of looks bad, I’m suing myself, right?»
Trump, who previously said the project would be funded by «Yours truly, » now suggests that the money he is seeking from the Justice Department could help finance his controversial White House ballroom.
Trump declared on Truth Social, «I am honored to be the first President to finally get this much-needed project underway — with zero cost to the American taxpayer! The White House Ballroom is being privately funded by many generous patriots, great American companies, and, yours truly.»
The post struck many as ironic, given that it was published only a day before Trump requested $230 million from the Justice Department.
Although his 2022 lawsuit was dismissed, Trump has revived his grievances as president, now seeking $230 million from the Justice Department. He argues that the FBI investigations, including the Mar-a-Lago search, caused him significant personal and political harm, damages he says justify financial compensation.
Shocking photos and videos released by the media show part of the White House in ruins, as construction begins on a $250 million ballroom for Donald Trump.
The images have left many stunned, especially after the president had pledged that the White House’s historic structure would remain untouched during the project.
«It won’t interfere with the current building.»
-Donald Trump
«I am pleased to announce that ground has been broken on the White House grounds to build the new, big, beautiful White House Ballroom.»
The «Rose Garden Club» and a new ballroom
It comes after ordering in June the famous White House Rose Garden to be gutted and replaced with a hard-scape patio, including limestone slabs and club-style seating, and branding it the «Rose Garden Club», a move widely criticized for erasing the garden’s historic character and turning it into a Mar-a-Lago-style venue.
Trump has now turned his attention to the East Wing, where the construction of a massive new ballroom has led to the permanent destruction of part of the White House, sending chills and raising serious questions among Americans.
The ballroom project, envisioned by Donald Trump and announced in July with a projected cost of $250 million, was set to begin construction in September. Trump insisted it would be financed entirely through his own funds and contributions from what he described as «patriot donors», emphasizing that no taxpayer money would be used.
«I am pleased to announce that ground has been broken on the White House grounds to build the new, big, beautiful White House Ballroom,» Trump wrote on Truth Social, as images of the demolition continued to circulate online.
Like his own permanent residence
Images showing a damaged exterior wall and part of the roof quickly spread across the media, as critics denounced the president’s abrupt decision to remodel the White House, the people’s house.
A much-needed project
Many questioned the necessity of a lavish ballroom and anxiously wondered what Trump might do to the building next, as he increasingly appears to treat it like his own permanent residence.
«I am honored to be the first President to finally get this much-needed project underway,» Trump wrote on Truth Social.
According to several media outlets, including The Washington Post, Trump stated while signing the executive order in July that the main White House structure would remain untouched by the ballroom’s construction, saying:
«It won’t interfere with the current building.»