NEWSFCC Chairman Brendan Carr Insists Review of ABC's Broadcast Licenses Is Not Politically Motivated Amid Jimmy Kimmel Controversy
The FCC denied political pressure against ABC.
May 5 2026, Published 7:26 a.m. ET
The fallout from Jimmy Kimmel’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner parody is now entangled with federal regulators, corporate power and a growing free speech debate.
Days after President Donald Trump demanded that ABC fire Kimmel over a joke about First Lady Melania Trump, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ordered an early review of ABC’s broadcast licenses. Now, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr is pushing back against accusations that the move is politically motivated.
FCC Denies Political Pressure
The early review of ABC’s licenses followed Donald Trump’s remarks.
Speaking at a press conference, Carr insisted “there was no call for agency action from the outside. This was based on our assessment of where we were.”
Carr said the review is tied to a long-running investigation into Disney’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices, not Kimmel’s comments or any programming on ABC.
Still, the timing has raised eyebrows. The FCC’s announcement came just one day after Trump publicly called for Kimmel to be fired, intensifying scrutiny over whether the government is stepping into a media feud.
Jimmy Kimmel Fires Back On Air
Jimmy Kimmel responded on air.
The Jimmy Kimmel Live! host has used his platform to directly respond to Trump’s attacks. After the president labeled him “seriously unfunny” and called for his dismissal, Kimmel flipped the criticism back.
“If incompetently presiding over not just one of, but the lowest ratings in history is the reason I should be fired, we should both be out of a job, because you’re not doing too good either,” he joked.
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The feud raised free speech concerns.
“I do want to commend the small handful of Republicans who’ve spoken out to support our First Amendment rights,” Kimmel said, noting that several lawmakers he’s mocked have not called for his firing.
“Why am I getting the same threats he’s giving to Iran?” Kimmel quipped. “Let me make something clear: I am not the Ayatollah.”
Disney Stands Its Ground
Disney backed ABC publicly.
Caught in the middle is Disney, which owns ABC and its local stations in major markets including New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
“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,” the company said in a statement. “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.”
