• FCC issued new guidance Wednesday requiring equal time for political candidates on late-night and daytime talk shows
• Kimmel told audience he is once again being threatened by the FCC five months after September suspension
• Host responded by staging mock interview with Trump’s body parts in defiance of regulatory pressure

LOS ANGELES (TDR) — Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel responded to new federal regulatory threats Wednesday evening by staging an outrageous mock interview with President Donald Trump’s body parts, defiantly booking a political guest despite fresh FCC guidance targeting entertainment programs that feature politicians.

The Federal Communications Commission issued a public notice Wednesday declaring that broadcast television stations must provide equal time to opposing political candidates when entertainment shows feature politicians, potentially ending longstanding exemptions for late-night and daytime talk shows.

“For real, we are once again getting threatened by the FCC,” Kimmel told his audience, referencing his September suspension over comments about conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination.

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The comedian noted Trump found time to promote the FCC action on Truth Social while attending crucial international meetings in Switzerland.

“I invited President Trump to appear on our show tonight, FCC be damned,” Kimmel declared. “Unfortunately, his head was unavailable to talk, but we were able to book another part of his body.”

The segment featured Kimmel conducting a satirical interview with Trump’s “badly bruised right hand” and presidential cankle, mocking the regulatory pressure while technically complying by featuring a political guest.

FCC Reverses Decades Of Precedent

The FCC Media Bureau issued an unsigned four-page document Wednesday stating broadcast stations would be obligated to provide equal opportunities to opposing candidates if a politician’s appearance falls short of a “bona fide news” event.

“A program that is motivated by partisan purposes, for example, would not be entitled to an exemption under longstanding FCC precedent,” the Media Bureau stated.

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The guidance represents a significant departure from a 2006 FCC decision that granted late-night shows exemption from equal time rules. That ruling determined “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” qualified as a bona fide news interview when hosting then-California gubernatorial candidate Arnold Schwarzenegger.

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr wrote on X that legacy television networks had assumed their talk shows qualify as bona fide news programs despite partisan political purposes.

“For years, legacy TV networks assumed that their late night & daytime talk shows qualify as ‘bona fide news’ programs – even when motivated by purely partisan political purposes,” Carr wrote. “Today, the FCC reminded them of their obligation to provide all candidates with equal opportunities.”

The agency encouraged broadcasters to seek FCC opinions to ensure compliance, an advisory likely to raise anxiety among television stations and potentially prompt scrutiny of shows delving into politics.

Trump Amplifies FCC Action

President Trump shared a Los Angeles Times report on Truth Social detailing how the FCC is targeting ABC’s “The View” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” over equal time rules. Carr shared a screenshot of Trump’s post on X.

Trump has feuded with critical talk show hosts for years, celebrating CBS parent Paramount’s decision to end “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” last summer and hailing ABC’s September decision to temporarily suspend “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”

“They give me only bad publicity or press,” Trump told reporters in September. “I mean, they’re getting a license. I would think maybe their license should be taken away.”

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