U.S. President Donald Trump demanded the immediate dismissal of Jimmy Kimmel by ABC and parent company Walt Disney on Monday. This call came after Melania Trump, the First Lady, criticized the late-night talk show host for a monologue he delivered before a recent shooting incident near a gathering of journalists and politicians.
Kimmel, in a segment last Thursday that parodied the upcoming White House correspondents’ dinner, made a comment about Melania Trump that Trump found offensive. The incident escalated when Trump and the First Lady were evacuated from the dinner due to a shooting at the Washington Hilton, where a suspect named Cole Allen fired at Secret Service agents before being apprehended.
Trump has a history of pressuring broadcasters to remove programs critical of him. Although broadcasters have First Amendment rights to make jokes, Trump has been vocal about his disapproval of certain shows. In a previous incident, Trump celebrated when Kimmel’s show was temporarily taken off the air for a joke about a conservative activist.
Following Kimmel’s controversial remarks, FCC Chair Brendan Carr condemned the comedian’s words for potentially misleading the public about the shooter’s political affiliations. Carr warned that local broadcasters airing Kimmel’s show could face penalties, hinting at FCC intervention.
In response to the regulator’s remarks, Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair Broadcast Group, which collectively own a quarter of ABC affiliates, stopped airing Kimmel’s show. ABC initially decided to preempt Jimmy Kimmel Live! indefinitely, but after discussions with Kimmel and Disney, the show was eventually reinstated.
Despite the backlash, Kimmel’s return episode drew a significant audience, with over 6 million broadcast viewers and record-breaking viewership on YouTube. In his comeback monologue, Kimmel apologized for his previous comments, acknowledging that they may have been misunderstood.
The controversy surrounding Kimmel’s remarks led to protests and criticism from various public figures. Former President Barack Obama condemned the administration’s actions against media companies, while U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren voiced concerns about federal interference in media decisions.
As tensions escalated, Melania Trump condemned Kimmel’s joke, labeling it as divisive and hateful. President Trump echoed her sentiments, calling for Kimmel’s immediate termination by Disney and ABC.
Neither ABC nor Disney responded immediately to requests for comments on the matter.