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NEW YORK - New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani says he’s now willing to attend a town hall hosted by WABC-TV after ABC reversed its suspension of late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.
The backstory:
Earlier Monday, Mamdani announced he was pulling out of the event in protest of ABC’s decision to suspend Kimmel following backlash over his remarks on the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
"I am withdrawing not as an indictment of the local affiliate or the hardworking journalists, but rather in response to the corporate leaders who have put their bottom line ahead of their responsibility in upholding the freedom of the press," Mamdani said in a statement.
But after ABC confirmed Kimmel would return to his show Tuesday, Mamdani reversed course.
"Last week, Disney/ABC caved to Trump administration pressure. Millions of Americans helped them find their backbone. Whether you watch Jimmy Kimmel or not, today’s decision is a victory for free speech," he wrote on X. "We’ve reached out to WABC to reschedule the town hall."
The Democrat, 33, is facing former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, and Republican Curtis Sliwa in November’s mayoral election.
ABC said in a statement that the network had "spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy" before lifting the suspension.
The Source: This report is based on information from the Associated Press.