After a joke from host Jimmy Kimmel considered by Donald and Melania Trump as a "vile call to violence" against the American president, the telecoms regulator on Tuesday ordered the ABC channel to submit a new license application. The opposition denounces censorship.

Published on: 04/28/2026 - 11:01 p.m. Modified on: 04/29/2026 - 07:31

The American telecoms regulator on Tuesday April 28 ordered the ABC channel to submit a new license application, a decision denounced as censorship by the opposition, the Trump couple having requested the departure of host Jimmy Kimmel. Melania and Donald Trump base their request on a joke from the comedian which they consider to be a call to violence.

The regulator, the FCC, does not justify its decision in the administrative opinion. Asked by AFP, she did not respond immediately. Contacted by AFP, Disney, ABC's parent company, indicated that it had received the FCC's request and said it was "confident in the fact that our service record [demonstrates] that we have the qualifications for these licenses." These were initially due to expire between 2028 and 2031 as part of the ordinary process leading to a renewal request.

After the intrusion of a shooter, since charged with attempted assassination of the president, during the press gala in Washington on Saturday, First Lady Melania Trump called for the ouster of Jimmy Kimmel, whose "rhetoric of hatred and violence" she denounced. She was referring to a joke from the host of the late-night talk show "Jimmy Kimmel Live" during the show broadcast Thursday.

During a sequence parodying the White House Correspondents' Gala, which was held two days later in Washington, Jimmy Kimmel pretended to address Melania Trump, "beaming like a widow in the making", as he put it.

Also read: Shootings at the press gala: the history of American presidents repeats itself

After Melania Trump, it was her husband who attacked Jimmy Kimmel on Monday, saying that he “should be fired immediately by Disney and ABC” for this “despicable call to violence”.

“Very nice little valve”

During his show broadcast later Monday, Jimmy Kimmel did not apologize and explained that this "very nice little joke" was an allusion to the age difference between the presidential spouses and to the often severe appearance of the First Lady, not a call to violence.

In mid-September, ABC temporarily removed "Jimmy Kimmel Live" from the air for comments deemed inappropriate by the host following the assassination of ultraconservative influencer Charlie Kirk. This suspension was notably suggested publicly by the president of the FCC, Brendan Carr.

Also read: Jimmy Kimmel dismissed: after debates on freedom of expression in the United States, including on the right

Appointed by Donald Trump, the manager threatened, in March, to deprive of licenses certain channels which he accused of "distorting" information and "promoting false theories". To avoid this outcome, he called on them to “correct the situation”, believing that “the general public [had] lost confidence in the traditional media”.

“Do you remember when they campaigned for freedom of expression?”, reacted, on X, the Democratic representative to the House of Representatives Greg Landsman, in reference to the Republicans. “Using the FCC to attack political adversaries is an abuse of power and incredibly childish,” he continued.

“At the President’s orders”

“We cannot tolerate these attacks on the press, entertainment media or those who express their opinions,” urged his House colleague, April McClain Delaney. “We must protest.”

In July, the Skydance Media group agreed, at the request of the FCC, to make editorial changes within the CBS channel, often criticized by Donald Trump, to obtain the green light for the takeover of Paramount Global.

A few days earlier, CBS had announced the elimination of a show competing with Jimmy Kimmel's, Stephen Colbert's "The Late Show". The latter had just described the $16 million compensation paid by Paramount Global, CBS's parent company, to settle proceedings brought by Donald Trump as a "big, big bribe".

In December 2024, ABC had already agreed to settle another dispute also initiated by the Republican billionaire, by paying $15 million.

Brendan Carr "uses his power to silence divergent opinions, on orders from the president," commented the co-director of the media freedom organization Free Press, Jessica Gonzalez, in a statement.

With AFP

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