Why Kimmel's Talarico Interview Won't Air on TV

Late-night TV is bumping up against campaign rules again. Fresh off his return from summer break, Jimmy Kimmel told his audience Wednesday that his Thursday sit-down with James Talarico, the Democrat running for Senate in Texas, won't air on ABC at all—it'll go straight to YouTube. Kimmel blamed "unusual circumstances" tied to new FCC guidance under President Trump, which warns that entertainment talk shows on local stations must give equal time to all candidates for the same office, per the New York Times. In other words, Kimmel would also have to host Talarico's opponent, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Kimmel said that for more than 20 years he, and hosts like David Letterman and Jay Leno before him, interviewed candidates without issue. The host noted that when he interviewed Trump in 2015 and 2016, Trump "seemed to have no problem." "But for some reason ... something has changed now that he is president," Kimmel said, per Rolling Stone. Stephen Colbert hit the same wall in February, when CBS lawyers reportedly blocked Talarico from The Late Show broadcast, pushing that appearance online. Speaking on Tuesday's 4,000th episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Kimmel said the show lived on despite the FCC's "unconstitutional" efforts to prevent it, per Fox News. He also joked that he and Trump have something in common: "We both accomplished nothing all summer long."