Kimmel Says FCC Pressure Kept Talarico Interview Off ABC, Moved to YouTube
Jimmy Kimmel said Wednesday he would not air his interview with Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico on ABC's national television network, releasing it instead on YouTube on Thursday. Kimmel cited FCC scrutiny of his show, ABC and its affiliate stations, and concern for affiliates. Talarico, a Texas state representative, is in a close Senate race against Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has President Donald Trump's endorsement. Public polling shows Talarico slightly ahead.
Jimmy Kimmel said on Wednesday evening that he would not broadcast his interview with Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico on ABC's national television network, and that the interview would instead be released on YouTube on Thursday. On his Wednesday evening program, Kimmel said the decision was made out of consideration for ABC affiliates given the Federal Communications Commission's scrutiny of his show, the ABC network and affiliated local stations. The FCC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Talarico is a Texas state representative and is currently in a heated Senate race against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Paxton has been endorsed by President Donald Trump. Public polling shows Talarico slightly ahead of Paxton. Paxton was impeached by the Texas House over corruption allegations and later acquitted by the state Senate. In January 2026, the FCC questioned whether television talk shows qualify as "genuine" news programs and are therefore exempt from equal airtime rules for political candidates. Another ABC program, "The View," has faced similar scrutiny.
Kimmel said on Wednesday that he has interviewed political candidates for years, including Trump himself. Kimmel's show has become a focal point of disputes over broadcast rights, First Amendment protections and government intervention. In 2025, after Kimmel delivered a monologue about the killing of Charlie Kirk, owners of ABC affiliate stations chose not to air "Jimmy Kimmel Live." ABC then took the show off the air for about a week, and Kimmel later said, "I never intended to minimize the killing of a young man." ABC has since continued to face pressure from the Trump administration. In April 2026, the FCC opened an early license renewal process for ABC-owned stations, citing an investigation into the company's diversity, equity and inclusion practices. ABC filed license renewal applications and in August 2026 sued the agency on First Amendment grounds, calling its investigation of the company "retaliatory."