Jimmy Kimmel slams Trump, 'jackhole' FCC head for net neutrality repeal
Jimmy Kimmel joined the storm of protests against the Federal Communications Commission repealing net neutrality laws on Thursday. “The FCC did something absolutely despicable today,” Kimmel told his late-night audience. “They voted to put an end to net neutrality.”
According to a recent poll, 83 percent of voters across partisan lines support net neutrality, which was put into effect during the Obama administration. It is the idea that Internet Service Providers, like Verizon and AT&T, must give everyone equal access to the internet and not charge more for higher-quality access or discriminate against certain websites.
“Internet service providers will be allowed to slow down or block web traffic to any website or streaming service they like, which benefits the big telecom companies, and does the opposite for all of us,” Kimmel said.
“I just want to say, thank you, President Trump,” he added. “Thanks to you and this jackhole you appointed to run the FCC [chairman Ajit Pai], big corporations are about to take full control of the internet. So Merry Christmas, everybody.”
Many celebrities, from Chris Evans and Mark Ruffalo to Carrie Coon and Cole Sprouse, denounced the FCC for net neutrality’s repeal.
“EVERYONE should care about this,” the Captain America tweeted. “It benefits no one unless you’re a faceless, mega corporation. NOBODY is asking for it.”
Meanwhile, Donald Trump Jr. wrote, “I would pay good money to see all those people complaining about Obama’s FCC chairman voting to repeal #NetNeutality actually explain it in detail. I’d also bet most hadn’t heard of it before this week. #outrage.”
EVERYONE should care about this! It benefits no one unless you’re a faceless, mega corporation. NOBODY is asking for it. https://t.co/d2fBjPe7mX
— Chris Evans (@ChrisEvans) December 14, 2017
I would pay good money to see all those people complaining about Obama’s FCC chairman voting to repeal #NetNeutality actually explain it in detail. I’d also bet most hadn’t heard of it before this week. #outrage
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) December 15, 2017
New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman promised to sue to stop the net neutrality repeal, while activists are calling on Congress to intervene.