Overview
- In a 12:49 a.m. ET Truth Social post, President Trump called Kimmel a "man with NO TALENT" and told ABC to "get the bum off the air," also questioning why station groups carry the program.
- Kimmel's Wednesday monologue framed the pending release of Epstein files as a political storm for Trump and mocked a White House dinner for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
- Lawmakers passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act by near-unanimous votes, and Trump signed it hours before the pre-taped episode aired.
- ABC briefly suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! in September after controversy over remarks tied to Charlie Kirk's assassination, and the show's return drew a significant ratings spike.
- The clash unfolds as affiliate decisions and an FCC inquiry into network pressure on stations draw scrutiny, with Trump also escalating complaints about ABC News earlier in the week.