White House denies Carr threatened Kimmel over Talarico interview
Jimmy Kimmel said Wednesday on his ABC late-night show that the Federal Communications Commission, under President Donald Trump’s presidency, had threatened him and his program over editorial decisions including guest bookings it did not like. Kimmel told his audience he had interviewed many political candidates over the years, including Trump during his first presidential campaign. He said his interview with Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico would not air on broadcast television Thursday as scheduled and would instead be posted on YouTube.
Speaking on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, Kimmel said the FCC had threatened him, his show, his network ABC, and ABC’s affiliates “based on simple, traditional editorial decisions, guest bookings it would seem they don’t like.” He said the decision to move the interview off broadcast television was made “in consideration for the network’s local stations, particularly ABC affiliates in Texas.”
The White House rejected Kimmel’s account. Spokesperson Davis Ingle said in a statement: “Jimmy Kimmel is play-acting - as he often does - to create a false narrative about this administration’s policies.” Ingle added that Carr “has not threatened him regarding interviewing James Talarico, or any other candidate.” The BBC said it had contacted the FCC for comment.
The FCC, which issues broadcast licenses and regulates radio, television and satellite airwaves, has been locked in a months-long dispute with ABC and its parent company Disney. Last September, Kimmel was temporarily pulled off the air for comments he made about the shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. That decision came hours after Carr, a Trump appointee, threatened to act against ABC and Disney.
In April, Trump and First Lady Melania Trump urged ABC to reprimand Kimmel for a joke he made about her. Shortly afterward, the FCC ordered an early review of Disney’s broadcast licenses. ABC sued the FCC last month, arguing the regulator was unfairly targeting it over its editorial content.
Trump has at times said he was considering pulling FCC licenses from US networks he accused of airing views critical of his presidency.
Kimmel’s move follows a similar episode in February, when CBS’s Stephen Colbert accused his network of refusing to broadcast his interview with Talarico over fears of FCC retaliation. CBS denied it had banned the interview, saying it had provided only “legal guidance.”
Talarico, a Texas state representative, faces Trump-backed Republican Ken Paxton in November’s midterm elections. The race will help determine whether Democrats can win back control of the US Senate for the final two years of Trump’s presidency.