CNN reported that Jimmy Kimmel (Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Man Show) has attracted the president’s ire yet again. Tuesday afternoon, the FCC has directed ABC to see a file for license renewal in the next 30 days: “Disney’s ABC is hereby directed to file license renewals for all of their licensed TV stations within 30 days — in other words, by May 28, 2026,” via CNN.
This appears to be the start of a long legal battle, as ABC is legally protected well under the First Amendment. The order is a significant escalation in the Trump administration’s ongoing battles with media companies. The FCC claims the investigation stems from Disney’s diversity initiatives, but the timing of the order has led to speculation that it stems from comments made by Kimmel. On recent broadcast, Kimmel said that Melania had a “glow like an expectant widow” directly preceding the attack at the Correspondents’ Dinner. In his monologue on Monday, Kimmel stated that his joke as not a call to violence and instead was “about the fact that (Trump is) almost 80 and she’s younger than I am,” via CNN. Trump posted to Truth Social on Monday, blaming Kimmel for the shooting and calling for his firing.
Public interest Lawyer Andrew Jay Schwartzman spoke on the order, “This weapon certainly hasn’t been deployed against a major broadcaster in many decades, via CNN.
Disney released a statement in response to the FCC, “ABC and its stations have a long record of operating in full compliance with FCC rules and serving their local communities with trusted news, emergency information, and public‑interest programming. We are confident that record demonstrates our continued qualifications as licensees under the Communications Act and the First Amendment and are prepared to show that through the appropriate legal channels,” Disney’s statement said. “Our focus remains, as always, on serving viewers in the local communities where our stations operate,” via CNN.
During his Monday monologue, Kimmel continued to defend his right to free speech, “Trump is allowed to say whatever he wants to say, as are you and as am I and as are all of us, because under the First Amendment we have as Americans the right to free speech,” via CNN. The monologue has been trending on YouTube, garnering millions of views and praise from both television critics and free speech advocates. After Monday’s episode, Trump once again called for Kimmel to be fired.
The last time the FCC ordered an early renewal was decades ago. Bridge News, a much smaller station, has also been ordered to undergo an early renewal investigation. Both Disney and Bridge News will now have the right to respond via a legal hearing.
Schwartzman spoke on the process, “The legal standard for denying a license renewal is almost insurmountable. A hearing and subsequent judicial review would take years, during which time the broadcaster can continue to operate as normal,” via CNN.
According to CNN, Tuesday’s paperwork from the FCC, it cited, “possible violations of the Communications Act of 1934 and the FCC’s rules, including the agency’s prohibition on unlawful discrimination.” Similar to the president and much of his administration, Carr has asserted that Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives are discriminatory. Carr in a recent podcast, stated there was evidence that Disney was “dividing and categorizing employees based on race and gender.”
The FCC suggested in an inquiry that ABC talk shows may violate regulations. Notably, the letter asserted that The View may be violating equal time rules.
The only current Democratic FCC commissioner called the order “the most egregious action this FCC has taken in violation of the First Amendment to date.” She would then continue, “As part of its ongoing campaign of censorship and control, the White House called publicly for the silencing of a vocal critic, and this FCC has now answered that call,” she added. “This is an unprecedented and politically motivated attempt to interfere with how broadcasters operate, and this unlawful overreach will fail. This should be a lesson to media companies that no amount of capitulation to this Administration will buy them protection. The only choice is to stand up and stand firm in defense of the First Amendment,” according to CNN.
Press freedom advocates have stated that Disney is well protected legally: “The First Amendment and the FCC’s mandate do not permit the agency to use broadcast licenses as weapons to punish broadcasters for constitutionally protected content they air,” Seth Stern, chief of advocacy for the Freedom of the Press Foundation, said in a statement. “Brendan Carr was once a serious communications lawyer, and has repeatedly and correctly said that the FCC has no role in policing content, whether news reporting or comedians’ late-night jokes,” via CNN.
They continued, “Carr’s decision to abandon his principles to kiss up to Trump to advance his career does not change the law that Carr knows full well applies,” Stern added. “The FCC is neither the journalism police nor the humor police. This is nothing but illegal jawboning intended to intimidate ABC into kissing the ring,”via CNN.