It seems as if Jimmy Kimmel has at least one supporter within the federal government. A reported effort by the Federal Communications Commission to scrutinize The Walt Disney Company’s broadcast licenses is already drawing sharp internal pushback.
The FCC, under the leadership of Chairman Brendan Carr, is reportedly gearing up to enact an early review of Disney’s broadcast TV licenses. First reported by Semafor, it follows calls from Donald Trump and Melania Trump for Kimmel to be fired over a joke delivered during a mock White House Correspondents’ Dinner segment. While the timing is likely to be viewed as retaliatory, it remains unclear whether the FCC would directly point to Jimmy Kimmel Live! if it formally initiates the review.
In a forceful statement, Democratic FCC commissioner Anna Gomez condemned the potential move in unusually direct terms: “This is unprecedented, unlawful, and going nowhere,” Gomez said. “It is a political stunt and it won’t stick. Companies should challenge it head-on. The First Amendment is on their side.”
The FCC currently has two open probes involving Disney. One is focused on Disney’s diversity, equity, and inclusion practices. Another is examining an episode of The View related to an appearance by Texas Senate candidate James Talarico and the commission’s equal opportunity rules.
It's unclear where Kimmel fits in all of this, but the timing of the license review has raised suspicions. The commission oversees broadcast licenses for local stations, not entire networks. Disney owns eight such stations, all of which operate using publicly owned airwaves. Those licenses are not up for renewal until 2028, making an early review highly unusual.
Carr has become a central figure in the current chapter of late-night television vs. the Trump administration. President Trump praised Carr for taking a hard look at networks the president says misreport the war in Iran, and even lumped in what he called the "late-night morons." In December 2025, Carr denied that he ever threatened to pull broadcast licenses if Disney didn't fire Kimmel.
For Disney, the possibility of federal regulators intervening raises the stakes around its handling of politically sensitive programming like Jimmy Kimmel Live!. For critics, it raises deeper concerns about the use of regulatory power in response to speech, especially coming from late-night television comedians like Kimmel.
Gomez’s blunt warning suggests at least some within the FCC see the situation in exactly those terms. Whether the commission ultimately follows through remains uncertain. But with investigations already underway and political pressure mounting, the clash between the White House and late-night television shows no signs of cooling down.
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