Jimmy Kimmel returned to late-night television on Tuesday, following a major controversy that led some ABC affiliates to stop airing his show
President Donald Trump erupted on Tuesday after ABC announced Jimmy Kimmel would return to late-night television, accusing the broadcaster of backing Democrats and branding it a potential “illegal campaign contribution.”
In a post shared on Truth Social, Trump slammed ABC’s decision and reignited his ongoing row with Kimmel, who has frequently mocked him in his opening segments.
“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,” Trump wrote. The news comes as Jimmy Kimmel Live: Late-night show returns despite Donald Trump’s scathing rant.
“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,” he added.
READ MORE: Donald Trump’s scathing dig at Jimmy Kimmel as host returns to TV screensREAD MORE: Jimmy Kimmel needs to make ‘sincere apology to save his career’ during ABC return
He went on: “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. This one sounds even more lucrative. A true bunch of losers! Let Jimmy Kimmel rot in his bad Ratings.”, reports the Irish Star.
Last night saw the comeback of Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC, officially restored following an indefinite suspension that had sparked chatter nationwide. The drama kicked off following Kimmel’s latest monologue on the programme, where he accused “the MAGA gang” of attempting to politicise the killing of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk.
The backlash was swift as major ABC affiliate groups, Sinclair and Nexstar, dropped Kimmel from broadcast “indefinitely.”
FCC Chair Brendan Carr joined the fray, issuing warnings of regulatory repercussions if broadcasters continued airing the programme without addressing his concerns.
Disney and ABC encountered immediate criticism, with thousands cancelling Disney+ subscriptions and numerous A-listers and corporations demanding ABC reinstate Kimmel.
Amid the criticism, subscriber exodus, and debates surrounding censorship and free speech, the company met with Kimmel, evaluated the damage, and announced the programme would resume on Tuesday evening in its regular slot.
However, Sinclair declared it would not broadcast the comeback episode on its ABC affiliates, choosing news programming instead until further “discussions with ABC” are settled.
This followed CBS’s decision not to renew Stephen Colbert for another series after his outspoken criticism of Donald Trump.
The network maintained it was a financial choice based on ratings, despite Colbert achieving some of the strongest viewing figures amongst all late-night television shows.