President Donald Trump is reviving calls this week for Disney-owned ABC to tug comic Jimmy Kimmel off the air in one more take a look at for late night time TV throughout the Republican president’s second time period.
Whereas it isn’t the primary time Kimmel has confronted backlash over a present monologue — his present was briefly suspended in September after broadcast station homeowners threatened to disrupt this system following feedback concerning the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk — the renewed challenges now fall beneath freshly put in Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro, who took the helm final month.
Trump and First Girl Melania Trump referred to as on ABC to fireside the late night time host after he referred to the First Girl as an “expectant widow” throughout a comedy sketch final week, days earlier than an alleged assassination try on the White Home Correspondents’ Dinner.
Melania Trump mentioned in a submit on X that Kimmel’s feedback have been “hateful and violent rhetoric” and “supposed to divide our nation.” Shortly after, Trump posted on his Reality Social platform that Kimmel’s feedback amounted to a “name to violence” and have been “far past the pale.”
In a subsequent monologue on Monday night time, Kimmel addressed the backlash, saying the comment was “a joke about their age distinction.” He added that it was “not, by any stretch of the definition, a name to assassination. They usually know that.”
White Home Director of Communications Steven Cheung mentioned in a submit on X Tuesday that Kimmel must be “shunned” for “doubling down on that joke as an alternative of doing the respectable factor by apologizing.”
Representatives for Disney did not instantly reply to request for remark.
Mounting political stress
The incident is the newest in a string of battles between Trump and legacy media — and late night time TV specifically — that has left the business on precarious footing.
Again in September, broadcast station homeowners Nexstar and Sinclair mentioned they might preempt Kimmel’s present, airing different content material as an alternative throughout his time slot, after Federal Communications Fee Chairman Brendan Carr raised concern with Kimmel’s feedback about Kirk.
Representatives for Nexstar and Sinclair declined to touch upon the newest Kimmel feedback.
Carr in September urged broadcast station licenses have been prone to being revoked, spurring debate about First Modification protections and the accountability of nationwide broadcasters like ABC to air typically acceptable content material.
Disney returned Kimmel’s late night time present to air a number of days after the suspension, and Kimmel apologized for the feedback in his first present again.
However the forwards and backwards may function one thing of a precedent if the Trump administration retains placing stress on media corporations.
On Tuesday, Semafor reported that the FCC was getting ready a overview of Disney’s broadcast licenses, however cited a supply in saying the timing wasn’t associated to Kimmel’s monologue. Representatives for the FCC and Disney did not instantly reply to requests for touch upon that report.
Final yr, Paramount-owned CBS introduced it could carry an finish to “The Late Present with Stephen Colbert” whereas the corporate awaited FCC approval for its merger with Skydance. The merger obtained the inexperienced gentle from regulators shortly after the announcement.
Whereas Disney has mentioned that it does not have plans for mergers or acquisitions within the close to time period, it has had a number of run ins with the Trump administration.
In December 2024, ABC Information agreed to pay $15 million towards Trump’s future presidential library to be able to settle a defamation lawsuit introduced by the President in opposition to the community and anchor George Stephanopoulos.
Final yr, ABC Information additionally reduce ties with nationwide correspondent Terry Moran after he mentioned Trump and senior White Home advisor Stephen Miller have been “world-class” haters in a social media submit.
