Trump Fires Back: Threatens to Sue ABC After Jimmy Kimmel Show Returns

Donald Trump is once again taking aim at ABC, this time over the return of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” The president criticized the network on his Truth Social platform, saying, “I think we’re going to test ABC out on this.”

He claimed he was surprised Kimmel was brought back, writing, “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 continued to attack Kimmel’s performance, suggesting the host is biased and harmful to ABC. “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,” Trump wrote.

He added, “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 Dollars. This one sounds even more lucrative. A true bunch of losers! Let Jimmy Kimmel rot in his bad Ratings.”

The $16 million reference comes from a previous settlement Disney paid to Trump over a defamation lawsuit against ABC News and anchor George Stephanopoulos.

That case stemmed from an inaccurate report in March 2024 regarding a civil case involving Trump and writer E. Jean Carroll.

ABC had temporarily pulled Kimmel’s show on September 17 following his comments on the Sept. 15 episode regarding Charlie Kirk’s killer. Disney, ABC’s parent company, later announced the show would return to its regular timeslot after discussions with Kimmel. “We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday,” Disney said.

However, major station groups Sinclair and Nexstar indicated they would not air the show for now.

Trump’s previous comments suggested he believed Kimmel had been fired. On September 17, he wrote, “Great News for America: The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED. Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done. Kimmel has ZERO talent, and worse ratings than even Colbert, if that’s possible.”

The controversy around Kimmel escalated when FCC Chair Brendan Carr commented on his remarks, suggesting potential scrutiny of ABC for “news distortion” and describing Kimmel’s commentary as “some of the sickest conduct possible.”

Disney explained the temporary suspension as a move to avoid inflaming tensions during a sensitive moment. “Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country. It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive,” the company said.

This situation highlights how quickly media controversies can escalate in today’s environment, especially when political figures get involved. Trump’s threat to take legal action and his public criticism of a comedy show underscore the tension between entertainment, politics, and free speech. What do you think about this clash between Trump and ABC? Share your thoughts in the comments.