Jimmy Kimmel’s remarks about pressure from Donald Trump and the future of late night point to a show that is continuing for now, but whose longer-term plans remain unsettled. In Bill Carter’s May 14, 2026, LateNighter interview, Kimmel said, “You can’t back down, even once.” He had signed a new one-year contract, while later reporting described serious retirement conversations between Kimmel and his wife and executive producer, Molly McNearney.
What did Jimmy Kimmel say about Trump and pressure?
In Bill Carter’s May 14, 2026, LateNighter interview, Kimmel described the pressure surrounding his show and its conflict with Trump and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Carter quoted him saying, “You can’t back down, even once.” That is Kimmel’s stated position, not a legal finding about the government’s actions. Read Carter’s interview.
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The interview is the closest match to the subject of an exclusive conversation about Trump and late night’s future. Its account combines Kimmel’s own comments with Carter’s reporting; those should not be confused with subsequent developments in court.
Is Jimmy Kimmel retiring?
As of the reports cited here, no departure had been announced. Carter reported in May that Kimmel had signed a new one-year contract. On August 25, TV Insider reported that Kimmel and McNearney had seriously discussed retirement, describing a private conversation rather than a decision to end the show. TV Insider’s report summarized remarks from Kimmel’s appearance on the Armchair Expert podcast.
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Kimmel said he would not want to announce that he was done and then return to essentially the same work. He also said he would keep doing things even if he retired from the show. McNearney expressed mixed feelings, including concern for the show’s staff and its voice. The one-year extension and the reported retirement discussion describe uncertainty beyond the current term, not a confirmed exit.
What might Kimmel do next?
Kimmel also discussed continuing Strike Force Five, the podcast he made with fellow late-night hosts. “I can’t imagine not keeping doing it,” he told Carter, and he floated doing it in front of a live audience. That was an idea, not an announced plan.
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The gap between an expressed possibility and a confirmed project matters: the interview does not establish that a live version is booked, or that Strike Force Five has a settled long-term schedule.
What is happening in the ABC–FCC dispute?
The interview’s concerns sit alongside a separate legal dispute. On October 7, 2026, the Associated Press reported that ABC and the FCC were in federal court over ABC’s challenge to FCC actions and its claims involving editorial discretion and the First Amendment. The court had not issued a final ruling in that account. The Justice Department opposed ABC’s request for preliminary relief, and the parties presented competing arguments.
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AP reported that the FCC chair had ordered an early review of station licenses after a Kimmel joke angered Trump. ABC argued that the threat of retaliation could chill its editorial decisions. At the hearing, ABC attorney Wilkinson said, “The irreparable injury is the chill, and the threat of retaliation for First Amendment speech and editorial decisions ABC makes every day.” That was ABC’s lawyer’s argument, not a statement or finding by the judge. Read the AP account of the hearing.
A separate September 10 report by TheWrap said Kimmel’s full interview with Texas Senate candidate James Talarico was posted on YouTube rather than airing in full on ABC. Kimmel said the FCC threatened the show and related ABC stations; the White House denied that the FCC threatened him over the interview. Those claims remain attributable to the speakers reporting them. TheWrap’s report covers the dispute around that interview.
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What does the October episode say about the show’s response?
ABC’s official listing for the October 1, 2026, episode says guests John Oliver and Seth Meyers discussed their friendship with Kimmel and why Trump hates him most. The listing documents the episode’s topic; it does not independently establish Trump’s motives. ABC says episodes stream on Hulu. See the official episode listing.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What remains unknown about late night’s future?
The available accounts establish Kimmel’s stated resolve, a one-year extension, and reported discussions about retirement. They do not establish what he will choose after that contract, whether the live-audience idea for Strike Force Five will happen, or how the ABC–FCC case will end. The court dispute was still active in AP’s October 7 report, so its outcome should not be treated as settled.
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