Jimmy Kimmel announced that his interview with a Texas Senate candidate would skip television broadcast, attributing the move to pressure from the FCC.
WASHINGTON, DC: Jimmy Kimmel has stated that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued threats against his late-night program and ABC regarding an upcoming appearance by Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico. According to Kimmel, the segment was pulled from the television lineup due to regulatory pressure and redirected to YouTube instead. Let’s examine the details behind this assertion.
Claim: Jimmy Kimmel claims FCC pressure forced the James Talarico interview off television
On September 9, 2026, Jimmy Kimmel informed viewers that ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ would not broadcast its conversation with James Talarico on standard television.
He attributed the choice to warnings issued to ABC by the FCC under President Donald Trump‘s administration. Following the announcement, social media users amplified these statements, with some asserting that the administration or the regulatory body actively worked to suppress the broadcast.
Reflecting on the situation, Kimmel remarked, “I interviewed Donald Trump when he was running for president in 2015. And at that time, when he was the one sitting next to me, he seemed to have no problem with the idea of talk-show hosts interviewing candidates.”
He continued, “In fact, he was very eager to come back for another interview, which he did just before he became the nominee in 2016.”
Kimmel further noted, “But for some reason, and I can’t seem to figure out what that reason is, something has changed. 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.”
Explaining his decision, Kimmel added, “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.”
Fact Check: The claim is false
There is no verifiable evidence indicating that the FCC directly targeted Jimmy Kimmel over his segment with James Talarico. Furthermore, a detailed review of Kimmel’s own remarks reveals he did not explicitly state that the agency took specific action to block that particular television broadcast.
Nevertheless, this does not imply that relations between the network and the regulatory body are entirely smooth. ABC and the FCC have been entangled in broader disagreements, with the network suggesting that the agency’s actions amount to retaliation over content unfavorable to the administration.
It is likely that Kimmel’s broader references to warnings directed at him and ABC pertained to these ongoing, systemic disputes rather than a direct mandate regarding the Talarico interview.
At the same time, Donald Trump has frequently targeted both Kimmel and ABC publicly. On multiple occasions, the president has advocated for the host’s termination and suggested that the FCC strip ABC of its broadcast licenses in response to coverage he found objectionable.