Mamdani did withdraw from an ABC-affiliated town hall and criticized Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension in First Amendment terms, but the event occurred in September 2025 and was later rescheduled after Kimmel’s reinstatement, making “just” outdated and incomplete.
Mostly True
Zohran Mamdani just pulled out of a local ABC town hall over Jimmy Kimmel's suspension. Mamdani says the decision to pull Kimmel off the air sent a message that "the First Amendment is no longer a right that can be counted on."
Zohran Mamdani to reschedule local ABC town hall after Jimmy Kimmel's show is reinstated
Source: nbcnews.com
At a glance
Verified September 5, 2026Key Evidence
Mamdani withdrew from a local ABC town hall in September 2025 in protest of Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension.
Reports attribute to Mamdani the view that ABC’s actions sent a message that the First Amendment was no longer a right that could be counted on.
After Kimmel’s show was reinstated, Mamdani said he would reschedule the town hall, so the claim omits a significant later development and is no longer accurately described as something that “just” happened.
The reporting
What the Evidence Shows
Zohran Mamdani did withdraw from a local ABC town hall in September 2025, protesting the network’s suspension of late-night host Jimmy Kimmel. The available reports also attribute to Mamdani the statement that the events sent a message that the First Amendment was no longer a right people could count on.nbcnews.comnbcnews.comZohran Mamdani to reschedule local ABC town hall after Jimmy Kimmel's show is...
nbcconnecticut.comnbcconnecticut.comZohran Mamdani pulls out of local ABC town hall over Jimmy Kimmel suspension+3 more
The claim’s main factual account is therefore supported, but its timing is not current as of September 5, 2026. The withdrawal occurred on or about September 22, 2025, nearly a year before the stated current date. In addition, NBC News and NBC New York reported on September 23, 2025, that Kimmel’s show had been reinstated and that Mamdani planned to reschedule the town hall.nbcnewyork.comnbcnewyork.comZohran Mamdani to reschedule local ABC town hall after Jimmy Kimmel's show is...+1 more
That later development does not make the original description of the withdrawal false, but omitting it can leave the impression that Mamdani permanently rejected the event or that the episode was recent. The evidence supports the underlying event and quotation, with a material correction needed for the stale “just” framing and the missing rescheduling context.
Primary trail
Verified Sources6
Open source
Zohran Mamdani pulls out of local ABC town hall over Jimmy Kimmel suspension
Zohran Mamdani to reschedule local ABC town hall after Jimmy Kimmel's show is...Primary Source Extraction
Transparency
Revision history
- Version 2September 5, 2026
The underlying event and attributed First Amendment statement remain supported, but the best-supported verdict changes from True to Mostly True because “just” is materially stale as of September 5, 2026. The withdrawal occurred on or about September 22, 2025, and Mamdani later said he would reschedule the town hall after Jimmy Kimmel was reinstated. The original result also omits that later development, which could imply the event was recent or that Mamdani permanently rejected the town hall.
True → Mostly True - Version 1September 22, 2025
Initial published version
True