In the latest twist in the Jimmy Kimmel and James Talarico interview drama, the White House is now accusing the late night host and his network of spinning a fake tale of federal strong-arming.
Put another way, Team Trump insists there was never any pressure on Kimmel and ABC from the MAGA administration to scuttle an interview with the poll topping Texas Democrat and Senate hopeful.
“Jimmy Kimmel is play-acting—as he often does—to create a false narrative about this administration’s policies,” Assistant Press Secretary Davis Ingle said Thursday.
“Chairman Carr has not threatened him regarding interviewing James Talarico, or any other candidate.,’ the White House’s Ingle added of the fiery Brendan Carr just as the second night of Donald Trump‘s mildly covered GOP midterm convention AKA pageant prepares to begin. “Any media outlet blindly amplifying Kimmel’s egocentric delusion should insist on proof. Of which they will find none.”
ABC parent company Disney had no comment on the response from the Executive Mansion when contacted by Deadline. The House of Mouse response is unsurprising given that they are the midst of an escalating legal and regulatory First Amendment clash with the FCC over station license renewals and charges of political thumbs on the scale.
‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!‘
ABC/YouTube
Wednesdays’ Jimmy Kimmel Live! monologue had some distinct déjà vu of what Stephen Colbert went through on CBS last year with Talarico — with maybe a similar result. Last night the LA-based host revealed an on-air sit-down with Talarico would not be seen on the FCC fighting ABC tonight.
After naming off various political candidates including Trump, who Kimmel has talked to over the years, the Live! frontman put federal regulatory enforcement under the spotlight. Kimmel added: “FCC has threatened me, threatened our show, threatened our network, ABC, our affiliates, our local stations, based on simple, traditional editorial decisions. Guest bookings, it would seem, they don’t like.”
“And so, 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 stated “It will be posted on YouTube instead,’ he concluded of the chat with the man who might flip the Lone Star state for the Dems for the first time in decades.
James Talarico
Brandon Bell/Getty Images
Interestingly, Talarico, who is in LA today and Friday for a series of deep pocket Hollywood fundraisers, was not listed officially as a guest on Kimmel before the host made his announcement. In a separate interview with MS NOW’s Symone Sanders Townsend on The Weeknight today, Talarico called the Kimmel situation the “most dangerous form of cancel culture”. In the knowledge that much of the watching and consuming of late nighters actually happens online anyway, the candidate went on to say: “I’m still hopeful that we can have this interview on the air. So we’ll see what happens tonight.”
Between Trump in Texas and Talarico in California, we certainly will.
At the same time, with the wounds still fresh from Disney’s sudden sidelining of Kimmel for almost a week a year ago over affiliate fallout from a remark he made about the tragic assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, there is a tendency for some to get lost in the weeds of this. There is also a tendency for some to start shouting about equal time rules without a read of the fine print.
The equal time rule requires broadcasters that feature political candidates must offer comparable airtime to rivals — if it is requested. Daytime and late-night talks shows have long operated under the assumption that they fell under an exemption for news and news interview programming. But in January, Carr issued guidance suggesting that such talk shows may not be free from the rule.
The equal time rule also is often misunderstood. It applies to political candidates in a certain cycle. So, for instance Ted Cruz’s appearance on The View this week makes no difference because he’s not up for reelection this midterm.
The FCC’s Carr has argued that nothing is preventing late night or daytime talk shows from featuring a political candidate as a guest. They just have to be prepared to offer time to rivals as well.
As ABC pushes back on Carr’s investigation of The View, the network’s argument is one of selective enforcement, as the FCC chairman has not singled out other broadcasters, like conservative talk radio. And the network has pointed to a 2002 letter from the FCC confirming the show’s exemption from the equal time rule. The network also has characterized the equal time rule as unworkable, given that its stations may be on the hook not just for major party candidates, but third party rivals as well.
Again, let’s see what happens tonight.
Worth noting that when the now axed Colbert’s interview with Talarico was shifted over to YT, it got a huge number of views and the candidate raised over $2.5 million in just over 24 hours. That might be a history worth repeating itself for the Texas Democrat — false narrative or not.
