This is the thanks broadcast television gets?

The recent suspension of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” is an attack on democracy. Though not necessarily the democracy one might think.

- MARY MCNAMARA

LEON NEAL Getty Images

TV FUELED President Trump's rise. Now he regularly attacks its figures such as Jimmy Kimmel, right.

Free speech is protected by the 1st Amendment. This grants the late-night host the freedom to say whatever he thinks without fear of arrest or state-sanctioned violence. It does not necessarily guarantee that he will not be censured, or fired, if his remarks violate his employer's rules or standards.

President Trump discovered this in 2015 when, citing inflammatory remarks the then-presidential candidate made about undocumented Mexican immigrants, NBC — the network that aired “The Apprentice” and Trump's Miss Universe pageant — cut ties with him.

This is the most obvious explanation for Trump declaring war on television, despite it being the industry that, via “The Apprentice” and a deluge of coverage during his first presidential campaign, helped propel him to the presidency. Paybacks are a b—and this particular president thrives on them.

And it is definitely war. Trump has a long history of attacking various TV networks and personalities, including Kimmel. The regularity, name-checking and vitriol of these attacks far outstrip the anger many presidents have expressed toward the media, but they are in keeping with Trump's general brand of “whataboutism” and victimization.

CHRIS PIZZELLO Associated Press

DONALD Trump, then-host of NBC's "The Celebrity Apprentice," mugs for the camera in January 2015. The network would cut ties with him later that year.

A brand that last year a majority of voters decided, in a free and fair election, represented their best interests.