Donald Trump Threatens Legal Action Against ABC Over ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ Return

Donald Trump has criticized ABC’s decision to bring back “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and threatened possible legal action, according to statements he made on Truth Social and in public comments.

The president described Kimmel as lacking talent and accused the network of bias.

“I can’t believe ABC Fake News gave Jimmy Kimmel his job back,” Trump wrote. “The White House was told by ABC that his Show was cancelled! Something happened between then and now because his audience is GONE, and his ‘talent’ was never there.”

Trump also suggested that Kimmel’s show serves the Democratic Party and implied potential legal repercussions. “Why would they want someone back who does so poorly, who’s not funny, and who puts the Network in jeopardy by playing 99% positive Democrat GARBAGE. He is yet another arm of the DNC and, to the best of my knowledge, that would be a major Illegal Campaign Contribution.”

“I think we’re going to test ABC out on this. Let’s see how we do. Last time I went after them, they gave me $16 Million Dollars. This one sounds even more lucrative. A true bunch of losers! Let Jimmy Kimmel rot in his bad Ratings.”

The $16 million Trump referenced came from a 2024 settlement in which Disney agreed to pay his presidential library and legal fees after ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos made false claims on-air about Trump being found liable for rape.

ABC had temporarily pulled “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” from the air on September 17 following comments the host made about the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s assassination. Disney, ABC’s parent company, announced the show would return on September 22. “Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country.”

“It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive. We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday,” Disney said in a statement.

Trump had earlier claimed that Kimmel was fired due to low ratings, writing on Truth Social, “Great News for America: The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED. Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done. Kimmel has ZERO talent, and worse ratings than even Colbert, if that’s possible. That leaves Jimmy and Seth, two total losers, on Fake News NBC. Their ratings are also horrible. Do it NBC!!! President DJT”

This latest dispute highlights the tension between ABC, its hosts, and Trump, who has previously taken legal action against the network. The return of Kimmel’s show comes amid continued debate over media bias, ratings, and public response to politically charged commentary.

This situation shows how quickly media controversies can escalate, especially when politics and entertainment intersect. Trump’s threats may bring more attention to the show, but it’s unclear if any legal action will follow. What do you think about Trump’s response and ABC bringing Kimmel back? Share your thoughts in the comments.