President Donald Trump complained angrily about Disney’s decision to reinstate Jimmy Kimmel Live! ahead of the comedian’s first show since the late-night program was indefinitely suspended last week.
Writing on Truth Social, Trump said, “I can’t believe ABC Fake News gave Jimmy Kimmel his job back. The White House was told by ABC that his Show was cancelled! Something happened between then and now because his audience is GONE, and his ‘talent’ was never there.“
“Why would they want someone back who does so poorly, who’s not funny, and who puts the Network in jeopardy by playing 99% positive Democrat GARBAGE. He is yet another arm of the DNC and, to the best of my knowledge, that would be a major Illegal Campaign Contribution,” the president wrote.
Trump added, referring to his lawsuit against ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos, “I think we’re going to test ABC out on this. Let’s see how we do. Last time I went after them, they gave me $16 Million Dollars. This one sounds even more lucrative. A true bunch of losers! Let Jimmy Kimmel rot in his bad Ratings.”
ABC News settled their lawsuit with Trump after Stephanopoulos incorrectly stated, on air, that Trump had been found liable for rape, paying the president some $16 million in the process. It is unclear if the president’s Tuesday post suggests he would be taking legal action against the network and, if so, on what grounds. The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
Last week, Trump filed a $15 billion lawsuit against The New York Times, although it was thrown out days later by a judge who noted that the courts were not “a protected platform to rage against an adversary.” In July, the president sued The Wall Street Journal to the tune of $10 billion over its coverage of his ties to convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
Kimmel’s show was originally suspended by ABC after Trump-appointed FCC Chairman Brendan Carr appeared on right-wing commentator Benny Johnson’s podcast and threatened to revoke the network’s license in response to jokes Kimmel had made about the Republican response to Charlie Kirk’s death.
The move triggered a significant backlash, drawing criticism not just from the left but from conservatives concerned about the free speech implications of a government agency attempting to stifle a comedian’s speech.
After several days, Disney—ABC’s parent company—walked back their decision and announced Kimmel would return to his regular late-night slot on Tuesday.
The news that Kimmel’s show would not be permanently canceled angered many Trump supporters, with an executive producer of The Charlie Kirk show calling it a “mistake” while others encouraged conservatives to flood the network with complaints.
Major affiliate groups Nexstar and Sinclair, who together control some 20 percent of local ABC affiliates, asserted that they would not be airing Kimmel’s comeback episode on their affiliate stations, with Sinclair insisting that Kimmel both apologize and donate to Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA.
