White House Melts Down Over Jimmy Kimmel Accusation

Photo Illustration by Victoria Sunday/The Daily Beast/Getty Images The White House has lashed out at late-night host Jimmy Kimmel for claiming that the Federal Communications Commission “threatened” him, his show, ABC, and the network’s affiliates.

Kimmel on Thursday announced that he would not air an interview with Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico, citing pressure from the Trump administration.

The 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,” Kimmel said.

“They’re very nervous about the midterms, and rightly so...

They’re in danger of losing a Senate seat in Texas, of all places.” But the White House is disputing Kimmel’s claim.

“Jimmy Kimmel is play-acting—as he often does—to create a false narrative about this administration’s policies,” spokesperson Davis Ingle told the Daily Beast in a statement.

“[FCC] Chairman [Brendan] Carr has not threatened him regarding interviewing James Talarico, or any other candidate.

Any media outlet blindly amplifying Kimmel’s egocentric delusion should insist on proof.

Of which they will find none.” The conflict is the latest flare-up of animosity the Trump administration has shown the late-night show.

Last September, Carr took Kimmel’s show off the air for a week amid right-wing complaints about Kimmel’s comments on the MAGA response to the killing of Charlie Kirk.

The following April, Donald Trump, 80, demanded ABC punish Kimmel, 58, for joking about first lady Melania Trump.

The FCC then reviewed eight of parent company Disney’s broadcast licenses.

ABC sued over this in August, alleging a First Amendment violation.

On his show Wednesday, Kimmel said Trump didn’t seem to have an issue with Kimmel’s guests when he was one a decade ago.