Jimmy Kimmel Says Interview With James Talarico Won't Air On TV, Cites Trump's FCC 'Threats'

Jimmy Kimmel pulled a planned broadcast interview with Texas Senate candidate James Talarico. The late-night host moved the interview exclusively to YouTube after warnings from President Donald Trump’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC) aimed at Jimmy Kimmel Live!, ABC, network affiliates and local stations.

Jimmy Kimmel interview with James Talarico shifts to YouTube

On Wednesday, Kimmel told viewers that Talarico would still appear on the show on Thursday, but only for an online interview. Kimmel linked the move to pressure on his programme and said he was trying to avoid putting local stations, especially ABC affiliates in Texas, in a difficult position.

“Tomorrow night, I’ll be interviewing James Talarico — tomorrow night, under unusual circumstances,” Kimmel said during his monologue. “You know, for a lot of years, for the whole 20-plus years of our show, in fact, I’ve been interviewing Americans who are running for office with no problem at all, just like Letterman did, Leno did, Arsenio, et cetera, et cetera. I’ve interviewed a lot of political candidates from Hillary Clinton to Ted Cruz to Donald Trump himself.”

He pointed to his 2015 interview with Trump, when Trump was running for president. Kimmel said Trump seemed “very eager” to come back before the 2016 nomination.

Kimmel said that contrast showed how things had changed. “But for some reason, and I can’t seem to figure out what that reason is, something has changed now that he is president,” he said. He added that “his FCC has threatened me, threatened our show, threatened our network, ABC, our affiliates, our local stations — based on simple, traditional editorial decisions, guest bookings it would seem they don’t like.”

He said the interview would not air on TV “out of consideration for our local stations, especially our ABC affiliates in Texas who would have to deal with this nonsense”.

Kimmel said viewers who want to watch the Senate candidate interview will have to go to the Jimmy Kimmel Live! YouTube channel. “So if you want to learn about a candidate for the Senate tomorrow, you will have to go to the Jimmy Kimmel Live! YouTube channel where you will see it in its entirety,” he said. “And thank goodness we have that, because in the America we live in right now, that is the best that we can do until November, of course. Make sure you’re registered to vote, by the way, because that’s the most important thing you can do.”

White House dismisses Kimmel's claims

The White House rejected Kimmel's account. In comments to USA Today, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle accused the host of “play-acting” so he could “create a false narrative about this administration’s policies”.

Ingle said, “Chairman Carr has not threatened him regarding interviewing James Talarico, or any other candidate. Any media outlet blindly amplifying Kimmel’s egocentric delusion should insist on proof. Of which they will find none.”

Who is James Talarico?

Talarico is a four-term state lawmaker. Before entering the Texas House of Representatives, he worked as a school teacher and studied as a Presbyterian seminarian.

He has gained attention in national politics by tying progressive views to religious doctrine.

Talarico is locked in a close battle against state Attorney General Ken Paxton. Democrats have failed to win a national office in the state for over three decades.