As FCC warns ABC against airing James Talarico’s interview, Jimmy Kimmel calls out double standards
A sign of changed times
American television host and comedian Jimmy Kimmel has been on Donald Trump’s hit list since Trump’s second term began in 2025. Over the past couple of months, Kimmel has made it clear that he leans more Democratic than Republican and, as a result, is facing the wrath of Trump’s temper yet again. However, he is refusing to bow to them.
During the September 9 episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live, Kimmel said his interview with Democratic nominee for the Texas Senate, James Talarico, would not air on ABC. He said it would instead be released on the show’s YouTube channel.
Kimmel said the reason was the FCC, which was pressuring ABC and those working with it. Kimmel said, “Now that he is president, his FCC has threatened me, threatened our show, threatened our network, ABC, our affiliates, our local stations based on simple traditional editorial decisions, guest bookings. It
would seem they don’t like.”
He continued, “And so, out of consideration for our local stations, especially our ABC affiliates in Texas, who would have to deal with this nonsense, my interview tomorrow with James Talarico will not air on television. It will be posted on YouTube instead.” Kimmel also spoke about the double standards he noticed within the Trump administration, especially Donald Trump, and highlighted Trump’s selective outrage at Kimmel interviewing political figures.
Kimmel mentioned, “I’ve interviewed a lot of political candidates from Hillary Clinton to Ted Cruz to Donald Trump himself. I interviewed Donald Trump when he was running for president in 2015.” He added that during the time, when Trump was the one sitting beside him, “he seemed to have no problem with the idea of talk show hosts interviewing candidates.”
He said, “In fact, he was very eager to come back for another interview, which he did just before he became the nominee in 2016.” Then, poking fun at Trump’s alleged changed nature, Kimmel said, “But for some reason, and I can’t seem to figure out what that reason is, something has changed.”
Trump has targeted ABC several times in the past
This is not Trump’s first time attacking Jimmy Kimell or ABC; he has done so several times before. In December 2024, shortly after Trump emerged victorious in the presidential election, ABC agreed to pay him $15 million to settle a defamation claim accusing the channel’s anchor, George Stephanopoulos, of falsely saying that Trump was “liable for rape.”
In addition, Trump has personally attacked ABC News, calling it “fake news” on multiple occasions and threatening action against it. Notably, in November 2025, when an ABC journalist asked him questions about Jeffrey Epstein case, Trump lashed out at the reporter and called for ABC’s license to be canceled.
As FCC warns ABC against airing James Talarico’s interview, Jimmy Kimmel calls out double standards
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