After Jimmy Kimmel returned to ABC on September 23, 2025, Donald Trump criticized the host and network and hinted at possible legal action. Trump wrote, “I think we are going to test ABC out on this. Let’s see how we do,” then closed: “Let Jimmy Kimmel rot in his bad Ratings.” The post did not specify a legal claim, and the reviewed reports do not establish that Trump filed a lawsuit over Kimmel’s return.
Why Jimmy Kimmel returned to ABC
ABC brought Jimmy Kimmel Live! back on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, after suspending the program for nearly a week. The suspension followed Kimmel’s remarks about the political reaction to the killing of Charlie Kirk and comments by Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr that raised the prospect of regulatory consequences for local stations.
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Before the return, ABC affiliates owned by Nexstar and Sinclair had stopped airing the show. The Los Angeles Times reported that those stations continued not to carry it when Kimmel’s program returned. That describes the situation reported in September 2025, not current station schedules.
What Trump said about Kimmel coming back
In a post reacting to ABC’s decision, Trump asserted that the White House had been told the show was canceled. He attacked Kimmel’s talent and described the program as “99% positive Democrat GARBAGE” and an “arm of the DNC.” He also called it a possible “major Illegal Campaign Contribution.” These were Trump’s claims, not independently established facts about ABC, Kimmel, the White House’s communications, or campaign finance.
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Trump then wrote: “I think we are 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 figure was Trump’s reference to a prior ABC settlement; it does not establish the merits or outcome of any separate dispute involving Kimmel’s return.
Did Trump threaten to sue ABC over Kimmel?
Contemporary Los Angeles Times coverage characterized Trump’s post as a threat of legal action. The quoted post, however, did not name a cause of action or lay out a legal theory. The reports reviewed for this account do not establish that a lawsuit arising from this threat was later filed. The post should therefore be described as a threat or hint of possible legal action, not as a filed case.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How Kimmel’s return became a free-speech dispute
In his return monologue, Kimmel defended free expression and thanked people who supported his right to speak even if they disagreed with him. The Los Angeles Times reported that he did not apologize. The episode unfolded amid debate over whether regulatory pressure from the government was being used to influence broadcast speech; the reporting does not establish that unlawful coercion occurred.
Carr’s earlier remarks included: “Frankly, when you see stuff like this, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. There are ways to change conduct, to take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.” The Los Angeles Times reported that Carr later denied threatening broadcasters’ licenses or playing a role in the suspension.
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FCC Commissioner Anna M. Gomez, whom the Los Angeles Times identified at the time as the commission’s only Democratic member, stated: “The FCC does not have the authority, the ability, or the constitutional right to police content or punish broadcasters for speech the government dislikes.” That was Gomez’s position in a release, not a judicial ruling.
Kimmel, meanwhile, said in his return monologue: “I want to thank the people who don’t support my show and what I believe, but support my right to share those beliefs anyway.”
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