Trump Threatens to Sue Over Kimmel's Return

Less than an hour before Jimmy Kimmel returned to TV on Tuesday, President Trump amped up the drama, threatening possible legal action against ABC over its decision to put the late-night host back on the air. Writing on Truth Social, Trump labeled Kimmel an extension of the Democratic National Committee and suggested ABC's decision to air his show could count as an "illegal campaign contribution," per USA Today. "I think we're going to test ABC out on this," he wrote, per Axios. "Last time I went after them, they gave me $16 Million Dollars. This one sounds even more lucrative." He claimed ABC told the White House that Kimmel was "cancelled" and ended by saying the host should "rot in his bad Ratings."

Following pressure from FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! last week over what parent company Disney described as "ill-timed" and "insensitive" comments about late conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Facing backlash and subscription cancellations, Disney then announced Kimmel's show would return. Trump isn't the only one upset about that. Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair Broadcast Group, two major ABC affiliates, aren't airing Kimmel for now, citing concerns about the show's tone and content. See how Kimmel addressed the controversy here.