Jimmy Kimmel labels 'threat' of FCC action 'another attack on free speech'

Jimmy Kimmel has called the "threat" of U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) enforcement action "yet another attack on free speech".

Earlier this week, the Jimmy Kimmel Live! host confirmed his interview with James Talarico, the Democratic nominee in the 2026 U.S. Senate election in Texas, would not air on TV, claiming that officials at the FCC had "threatened" the show.

Reflecting on the controversy during his monologue on Thursday night, Kimmel took aim at the FCC and its chairman, Brendan Carr.

"This is yet another attack on free speech, something that has become all too familiar for us here at the show, for us in the country. The FCC wants to make it impossible for me to interview candidates by requiring that I interview every candidate on the ballot who asks for equal time," he explained. "So, not only would I have to interview James Talarico's Republican opponent, Ken Paxton, which, by the way, I would love to do. Call me. I would have many questions for you. (But) our affiliates in Texas would (also) have to give equal time to as many candidates as there are on the ballot."

While the FCC has required broadcasters to give equal time to political candidates when they appear on-air in the past, this typically hasn't applied to late-night and daytime slots.

But to bypass the FCC's guidance, Kimmel's interview with Talarico has been uploaded to YouTube.

At the start of the Talarico chat, the presenter pointed out that U.S. President Donald Trump made multiple TV appearances while running as the Republican candidate in the presidential election.

"When he was running, (Trump) was on the show two times, but now I guess he doesn't like me anymore, or the First Amendment, and so the FCC has threatened me or threatened my show, our network, even our local ABC stations, because they want to make our editorial decisions for us, which of course we cannot accept," the 58-year-old declared. "And so tonight we're bypassing the public airwaves and hosting this interview on YouTube, even though our government would clearly prefer that we not do it at all."

Reacting to the comments, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle insisted no threats were made against Kimmel or Jimmy Kimmel Live! producers.

"Jimmy Kimmel is play-acting - as he often does - to create a false narrative about this administration's policies," he commented, insisting that Carr "has not threatened" Kimmel over his Talarico interview.

Kimmel has been a vocal opponent of the Trump administration. In September 2025, his show was briefly suspended due to network bosses "strongly objecting" to comments he made about the death of right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk.