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Jimmy Kimmel is once again at odds with the FCC.The late-night host revealed on Sept. 9 that a planned interview with Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico will not air on television and will instead be posted to his show's YouTube channel due to alleged threats from the Federal Communications Commission."Now that [President Donald Trump] 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 said.USA TODAY has reached out to the FCC for comment.White House spokesperson Davis Ingle denied that the FCC has threatened Kimmel in a statement shared with USA TODAY."Jimmy Kimmel is play-acting – as he often does – to create a false narrative about this administration's policies," Ingle said. "Chairman 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."In February, "The Late Show" host Stephen Colbert similarly said CBS lawyers told him "in no uncertain terms" he could not have Talarico, who was then running in a competitive primary against Rep. Jasmine Crockett, on his show.At the time, Colbert said the issue had to do with the FCC's equal-time rule, requiring broadcast networks and radio stations provide equal time to all candidates in an election. CBS denied prohibiting the interview and said it provided Colbert with "legal guidance that the broadcast could trigger the FCC equal-time rule for two other candidates" and "presented options for how the equal time for other candidates could be fulfilled." Colbert's interview with Talarico went forward and was posted on "The Late Show" YouTube channel.Also in February, ABC's "The View" drew FCC scrutiny over an interview with Talarico. Weeks prior, the FCC issued guidance saying daytime and late-night shows don't have a blanket exemption from laws requiring stations to offer equal broadcast opportunities to political candidates.Like Colbert, Kimmel said he'll post his interview with Talarico, which will be conducted on Sept. 10, on his show's YouTube channel. He described the situation as "unusual," pointing to the fact that he has interviewed politicians "with no problem at all" on his show for more than 20 years."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, 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," Kimmel said, adding that "for some reason," "something has changed" since then.In a statement shared with USA TODAY, FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, who was appointed in 2023 by former President Joe Biden, condemned what she characterized as the Trump administration's "campaign of censorship and control" and the FCC's "intimidation" of late-night hosts."No host, local affiliate, or network should have to weigh federal retaliation before booking a guest for a newsworthy interview," Gomez said. "Any attempt to pressure broadcasters into self-censorship undermines both press freedom and the public's right to hear from candidates in their communities seeking public office. The FCC has no lawful authority to threaten broadcast licenses over guest bookings or editorial decisions."Kimmel's interview change comes after Disney and ABC sued the FCC in August, alleging an unconstitutional "retaliatory campaign" against the network. The suit cited an FCC order for ABC to file license renewals for its TV stations years ahead of schedule. An FCC spokesperson said the agency had been investigating Disney's alleged "illegal DEI discrimination" for over a year and accused the company of an "ongoing campaign of disinformation."The controversy also comes nearly a year after ABC temporarily suspended Kimmel in September 2025 over comments he made about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Before the suspension, FCC chair Brendan Carr threatened ABC to take action against Kimmel, sparking outcry and accusations of government censorship. ABC brought Kimmel back on the air after less than a week.On Sept. 8, Kimmel returned to his show after being off the air for a planned summer hiatus. In his first monologue back, he referenced his show's 2025 suspension with a pointed comment toward Carr."This show premiered after the Super Bowl in January 2003," he said. "There are those who said we would never last this long. There are even those who used the regulatory might of the FCC to unconstitutionally try to make sure we didn't last this long. But we did it the hard way, Brendan, and we're still here!"Contributing: Taijuan Moorman and BrieAnna J. Frank, USA TODAY
