Kimmel Moves Talarico Interview to YouTube
During his Wednesday monologue, Jimmy Kimmel said that his interview with Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico would not be shown on broadcast television. Although Talarico is scheduled to appear on the show Thursday, Kimmel told viewers the conversation would be available only on YouTube. He explained that the change stemmed from threats by President Donald Trump's Federal Communications Commission against Jimmy Kimmel Live!, ABC, its affiliates, and local stations. Kimmel described the pressure as a reaction to routine editorial decisions, including guest bookings that the FCC apparently disliked.[S1]
Kimmel noted that for more than two decades, his show has interviewed Americans running for office without issue, mentioning predecessors such as David Letterman, Jay Leno, and Arsenio Hall. He said he had previously spoken with candidates ranging from Hillary Clinton to Ted Cruz to Donald Trump himself. Recalling his 2015 interview with Trump during that presidential campaign, Kimmel said Trump seemed comfortable with talk show hosts interviewing candidates and was eager to return before becoming the nominee in 2016. Kimmel added that something has changed now that Trump is president.[S1]
Pressure on ABC Affiliates and a Tight Texas Race
Kimmel said the FCC has threatened him, his show, ABC, its affiliates, and local stations over what he called simple, traditional editorial decisions and guest bookings the agency appears not to like. He explained that out of consideration for local stations, especially ABC affiliates in Texas that would have to deal with the fallout, the Talarico interview will not air on television and will instead be posted to YouTube. Kimmel told viewers that to learn about a Senate candidate on Thursday, they would need to visit the Jimmy Kimmel Live! YouTube channel, where the interview will appear in full. He also urged people to register to vote, calling it the most important action they can take.[S1]
In Texas, Talarico is running a tight contest against Ken Paxton, the state's attorney general. No Democrat has captured a statewide federal office in Texas for over three decades. A onetime schoolteacher who also trained as a Presbyterian seminarian, Talarico now holds his fourth term in the Texas House. His blend of left-leaning positions with religious teaching has attracted nationwide notice, framing his politics as practical remedies for wealth disparity and for reining in the Washington establishment. That framing has resonated with Texas independents, moderates, and some Republicans who had grown disillusioned.[S1]
A Pattern of Network Pushback
Kimmel's disclosure lands roughly half a year after Stephen Colbert, then host of the Late Show, revealed that CBS attorneys stopped his program from broadcasting a Talarico interview, pointing to FCC threats. Colbert recounted that network lawyers phoned the show directly and said Talarico could not appear on air. CBS pushed back on the claim that it blocked the segment. Taken together, the two incidents point to a wider trend of late-night political interviews encountering barriers before they reach viewers.[S1]
