Jimmy Kimmel told his audience on Wednesday that he would be interviewing James Talarico tomorrow night under unusual circumstances. He said the interview will not air on television. The segment will appear on the “Jimmy Kimmel Live” YouTube channel instead. according to NBC News. The host claimed this change happened because of pressure from the Trump administration.
Kimmel stated that the Federal Communications Commission has threatened him and his network. He said these threats target ABC, their affiliates, and local stations. This comes after similar claims made by Stephen Colbert earlier this year. The comedian said the move protects local stations in Texas from dealing with the issue.
“Out of consideration for our local stations, especially our ABC affiliates in Texas who would have to deal with this nonsense, my interview tomorrow with James Talarico will not air on television,” Kimmel said, per Daily Wire. He added that viewers must go to YouTube to see the full interview.
The host noted that he has interviewed political candidates for over twenty years without issue. He listed past guests like Hillary Clinton, Ted Cruz, and Donald Trump. Kimmel recalled interviewing Trump in 2015 when he was running for president. He said Trump seemed to have no problem with talk show hosts interviewing candidates back then.
“I interviewed Donald Trump when he was running for president in 2015, and at that time, when he was the one sitting next to me, he seemed to have no problem with the idea of talk show hosts interviewing candidates,” Kimmel said, according to Daily Wire. He then said something has changed now that Trump is president.
According to the Washington Times, Kimmel stated the administration compelled him to cancel the live broadcast. The Daily Wire reported that Kimmel fears violating the “equal time” rule. This rule requires networks to give equal airtime to all candidates in an election.
Stephen Colbert told a similar story in February regarding his own interview with Talarico. Colbert said CBS did not air that segment due to fear of the FCC. He claimed network lawyers told them they could not have Talarico on the broadcast. The Daily Wire noted that Colbert threw a “hissy fit” over the FCC moves at the time.
CBS issued a statement saying the show received legal guidance about the “equal-time rule.” They said the broadcast could trigger this rule for two other candidates. Neither the Talarico campaign nor the FCC responded to requests for comment from NBC News. ABC Entertainment also declined to comment on the situation.
In the past, Trump publicly targeted Kimmel by demanding the comedian be fired. The Washington Times noted that Kimmel’s statement represents the most recent example of administrative pressure. The interview with Talarico is set for Thursday. Talarico is a Texas state representative locked in a competitive Senate race against Ken Paxton.
“And thank goodness we have that because in the America we live in right now, that is the best that we can do until November,” Kimmel said, per Daily Wire. The show will air the interview online instead of on the broadcast network.
