Trump says Kimmel is DNC arm, 'major illegal campaign contribution' ahead of show's return

President Donald Trump said that late-night TV show host Jimmy Kimmel is "another arm of the DNC," and "would be a major illegal campaign contribution" ahead of Kimmel's show's return.

"I can’t believe ABC Fake News gave Jimmy Kimmel his job back," Trump posted on Truth Social on Tuesday night. "The White House was told by ABC that his Show was cancelled! Something happened between then and now because his audience is GONE, and his 'talent' was never there."

"Why would they want someone back who does so poorly, who’s not funny, and who puts the Network in jeopardy by playing 99% positive Democrat GARBAGE," Trump added. "He is yet another arm of the DNC and, to the best of my knowledge, that would be a major Illegal Campaign Contribution. I think we’re going to test ABC out on this. Let’s see how we do. Last time I went after them, they gave me $16 Million Dollars. This one sounds even more lucrative. A true bunch of losers! Let Jimmy Kimmel rot in his bad Ratings."

ABC announced Monday that it had reached an agreement with Kimmel to put his show back on the air starting Tuesday after deciding last week to suspend it indefinitely. The situation arose after the host delivered a monologue in which he claimed Trump's "MAGA gang" was trying to politically benefit from conservative political activist Charlie Kirk's killing.

Kimmel said during his monologue, “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang trying to characterize this kid who killed Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”

Kirk, 31, was assassinated while speaking at a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University by alleged shooter Tyler Robinson, 22, whose mother told police that he "had started to lean more to the left," according to a charging document.

Following ABC's announcement of the show's return, two of the largest local news providers in the U.S., Nexstar and Sinclair Broadcasting Group, said they would continue to preempt Kimmel's show.