Trump Slams ABC Over Kimmel’s Return, Threatens to ‘Test ABC Out”

ABC’s decision to lift Jimmy Kimmel Live!’s suspension drew an angry reaction from Donald Trump more than 24 hours later, with the president accusing the network of misleading the White House, calling the show an “arm of the DNC,” and hinting at legal action.

In a Truth Social post Wednesday night, Trump wrote: “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. 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.”

Trump’s response escalates a high-profile standoff that has drawn in federal regulators, broadcast affiliates, and the White House.

Kimmel was suddenly pulled from the air on Wednesday, September 17, after two major ABC station groups—at the urging of FCC Chair Brendan Carr—said they would stop carrying Jimmy Kimmel Live! over a remark he made in his monologue two nights earlier about “the MAGA gang” and its reaction to emerging details about Charlie Kirk’s alleged killer. Amid a growing right-wing media furor, Kimmel had reportedly planned to clarify his remarks on his show the same night the network announced it was suspending the program “indefinitely.”

Under mounting pressure from both the creative community and consumers—a “Boycott Disney” campaign had been gathering steam in recent days—Disney intensified negotiations with Kimmel to find a path forward and reached an agreement Monday to bring Kimmel’s back to the late-night stage, though not on all of its stations. Two of the network’s largest affiliate groups, representing more than 20% of its stations have said they will not air Kimmel’s return.