Donald Trump is threatening to sue ABC after Jimmy Kimmel returned to late-night television, just days after a suspension over controversial remarks about conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s murder.
Kimmel’s show was pulled off the air last week after he said Trump and his allies were “desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them” and trying to “score political points from it.” The suspension followed comments by the head of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) condemning the Kimmel and hinting that the regulatory agency might take action against ABC. It prompted an immediate backlash from fans, Democrats, and some Republicans, who called it an attack on free speech.
Kimmel’s return to the Disney-owned network has been equally controversial among America’s TV networks, however. Nexstar and Sinclair, media groups that together own dozens of local ABC affiliates, did not air the return of Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Tuesday night. Between them, the two networks cover about 23% of households in the U.S. Nexstar said in a statement:
“We made a decision last week to preempt ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ following what ABC referred to as Mr Kimmel’s ‘ill-timed and insensitive’ comments at a critical time in our national discourse.“
Trump took to Truth Social to vent after Kimmel resumed hosting duties on Jimmy Kimmel Live! following a week-long hiatus.