Country Legend Calls Out ‘The Regime’ After Jimmy Kimmel Suspension

After ABC suspended ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live,’ Rosanne Cash posted a series of striking messages about free speech, echoing the legacy of her father, Johnny Cash.

Country legends Johnny Cash and Rosanne Cash sing together on stage during a 1982 concert in Atlanta

Rick Diamond/Getty Images

Country star Rosanne Cash, the eldest daughter of the legendary Johnny Cash, is weighing in on the heated fallout surrounding ABC’s decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel Live after the host’s pointed remarks about MAGA figures. On Instagram Stories, the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter shared a trio of striking posts that all circle the same theme — free speech and the cost of challenging authority.

Rosanne Cash’s Three Messages

First, she posted a famous line from linguist Noam Chomsky: “If you don’t believe in freedom of speech for people you disagree with, you don’t believe in freedom of speech at all.”

Next came a political cartoon: a man opens his front door to find a squad of heavily armed guards. He shouts back to his wife, “Honey, did you post something negative about the regime?”

Finally, Cash shared a remarkable letter from President Lyndon B. Johnson to the satirical comedy duo the Smothers Brothers in 1968. The late-night comedy team was often criticized for its sharp political satire, but Johnson thanked them for keeping America laughing in turbulent times:

To be genuinely funny at a time when the world is in crisis is a task that would tax the talents of a genius; to be consistently fair when standards of fair play are constantly questioned demands the wisdom of a saint.

It is part of the price of leadership of this great and free nation to be the target of clever satirists. You have given the gift of laughter to our people. May we never grow so somber or self-important that we fail to appreciate the humor in our lives. If ever an Emmy is awarded for graciousness, I will cast my vote for you.

Carrying on Johnny Cash’s Legacy

Rosanne’s stance echoes her father’s long history of defending constitutional rights. Johnny Cash was never afraid to speak bluntly from the stage, once saying:

“I thank God for all the freedoms we’ve got in this country. I cherish them, even the right to burn the flag, you know? I’m proud of those rights. But I’ll tell you what… we’ve also got a right to bear arms, and if you burn my flag, I’ll shoot you. But I’ll shoot you with a lot of love like a good American.”

In 2002, the Americana Music Association honored him with its inaugural Spirit of Americana Free Speech Award. He and wife June Carter Cash performed “Ragged Old Flag” that night in what became their final public performance together before both passed away in 2003.

During the award presentation, First Amendment Center founder John Seigenthaler praised Cash for speaking out for the poor, for prisoners, and for Native Americans, calling him “a symbol of rebellion against those whose minds are closed to other ideas.”