The Trump administration is intensifying its pressure on ABC, days after Donald Trump called for the network to fire late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.

The Federal Communications Commission headed by Trump appointee Brendan Carr has ordered the Walt Disney Company to submit early renewals of its owned and operated stations. The licenses were originally scheduled to be renewed between 2028 and 2031.

In the Tuesday filing, the FCC’s Media Bureau said, "The FCC determines that calling in Disney’s ABC licenses for early renewal, at this time, under the Communications Act’s public interest standard is essential within the meaning of agency regulations. Therefore, Disney’s ABC is hereby directed to file license renewals for all of their licensed TV stations within 30 days–in other words, by May 28, 2026."

The filing further indicates that this move is an escalation of the agency's ongoing investigation into Disney's DEI practices amid the agency's "prohibition on unlawful discrimination." However, the severe action also comes on the heels of the Jimmy Kimmel Live host inciting the president's anger after cracking a joke about First Lady Melania Trump.

In a statement shared with Entertainment Weekly, a Disney spokesperson said, "We have received the Federal Communications Commission’s order initiating an accelerated review of the licenses held by ABC’s owned television stations. ABC and its stations have a long record of operating in full compliance with FCC rules and serving their local communities with trusted news, emergency information, and public‑interest programming. We are confident that record demonstrates our continued qualifications as licensees under the Communications Act and the First Amendment and are prepared to show that through the appropriate legal channels. Our focus remains, as always, on serving viewers in the local communities where our stations operate."

Entertainment Weekly has reached out to representatives for Jimmy Kimmel for comment.

On April 23, Kimmel staged an "alternative" White House Correspondents' Dinner in response to the Trump administration breaking with tradition by not hiring a comedian to poke fun at the president at the annual fundraising dinner. Recreating that routine, Kimmel performed a mock roast, juxtaposed with "reactions" pulled from stock footage of the Trumps, Vice President JD Vance, Vanilla Ice, Dog the Bounty Hunter, and more. 

Among the jokes, Kimmel lambasted Trump for his AI-generated image of him as Jesus and quipped about the first lady having "a glow like an expectant widow."

Two days later, the actual correspondents dinner was interrupted when an alleged gunman opened fire at the Washington Hilton, where the event was being held. Suspect Cole Allen allegedly rushed through a security checkpoint with multiple weapons and fired several gunshots. He was charged with attempting to assassinate the president on Monday as well as two federal gun charges, per PEOPLE.

Days later, both the president and the first lady blasted the late-night host in separate social media posts. In a rare post on X, Melania wrote that "people like Kimmel shouldn’t have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to spread hate. A coward, Kimmel hides behind ABC because he knows the network will keep running cover to protect him. Enough is enough. It is time for ABC to take a stand. How many times will ABC’s leadership enable Kimmel’s atrocious behavior at the expense of our community."

Trump addressed the jokes in a Truth Social post on April 27, drawing a connection between Kimmel and the attack on the White House Correspondents' Dinner.

"I appreciate that so many people are incensed by Kimmel’s despicable call to violence, and normally would not be responsive to anything that he said but, this is something far beyond the pale," Trump wrote. "Jimmy Kimmel should be immediately fired by Disney and ABC. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"

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The latest development in the feud between Kimmel and the Trump administration comes months after Disney temporarily pulled Kimmel's show from air in September following pressure from FCC Chairman Brendan Carr after the comedian made a joke about the "MAGA gang" response to the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Within a week, Kimmel was back on the air.

https://ew.com/trump-fcc-orders-review-of-disney-licenses-after-jimmy-kimmel-melania-joke-11960369

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