Jimmy Kimmel will headline a fundraiser for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee next month, as the late-night host finds himself in the crosshairs of the Trump administration.
The fundraiser, which will also feature House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is set for March 10 in Los Angeles, according to two people familiar with the fundraiser who were granted anonymity to discuss the details.
It comes as President Donald Trump has repeatedly attacked Kimmel and other comedians he perceives as critical of his administration.
Disney indefinitely suspended “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” in September after some ABC broadcast affiliates pulled the show over Kimmel’s comments about the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Disney’s decision, which came just hours after Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr implied that his agency could penalize stations if they did not take action against Kimmel, sparked concerns about government censorship of free speech.
Less than a week later, Disney announced the show would resume airing, but Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair Broadcast Group — two of the largest owners of local television stations in the country — continued to preempt tapings for several days. Nexstar has also sought regulatory approval from the Trump administration in recent months for a billion-dollar merger with Tegna, which Trump recently publicly blessed.
Trump had previously threatened that Kimmel was “next” after CBS canceled fellow late-night host Stephen Colbert’s show last year.
The New York Times first reported the news of the fundraiser.
The move targeting Kimmel attracted sharp criticism from Hollywood, like Kimmel’s late-night peers, and Democrats including former Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama and former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Kimmel has continued to voice pointed criticism of the Trump administration on his show, which has aired since 2003, repeatedly making light of the president’s handling of the Epstein files and his nationwide immigration crackdown.
He has also hosted several top 2028 Democratic presidential contenders, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, on his show in recent months.
The Trump administration has continued to ramp up pressure on comedians like Kimmel, with Carr warning late-night hosts that they must give political candidates equal time when booking guests, a regulation that has not historically applied to most talk shows. That guidance led to a planned interview with Texas Senate candidate James Talarico on “The Late Show” being axed from the broadcast, Colbert said Monday.
Spokespeople for ABC and Disney did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the fundraiser; nor did spokespeople for “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and Kimmel’s production company.
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