After a prank by host Jimmy Kimmel prompted calls from the White House for ABC to fire the comedian, the Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday ordered an early review of the network’s television station licenses.
The conflict between the administration of US President Donald Trump and the international entertainment community is the first crisis facing the new CEO of Walt Disney Josh D’Amaro.
Last Thursday, Kimmel, whose late-night TV show airs on Disney’s ABC, headlined the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, joking that first lady Melania Trump had a “glow like an expectant widow”.
The joke was made a few days before a black-and-white dinner, celebrating freedom of the press and freedom of speech, in Washington. The president and first lady were rushed from the dinner following the assassination attempt.
On Monday, the Trumps called on ABC to fire Kimmel, the latest move by the White House to roll back free speech that has plagued the world of late-night comedy. It has once again placed Disney at the center of a battle between media owners, regulators and political leaders in a highly charged political environment.
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Trump was not injured after being shot by White House reporters
Trump was not injured after being shot by White House reporters
During his monologue on Monday night’s show, Kimmel said the “widow-to-be” comment was “obviously a joke about their age difference”, which had been misconstrued. Trump will be 80 years old in June, and his wife turned 56 this month.
