President Donald Trump renewed his demand that ABC dismiss late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, intensifying his criticism of both the network and the comedian in a new post Thursday.

Writing on Truth Social, Trump said, “When is ABC Fake News Network firing seriously unfunny Jimmy Kimmel, who incompetently presides over one of the Lowest Rated shows on Television? People are angry. It better be soon!!!”

Although Trump’s claim about ratings is inaccurate, anger toward Kimmel remains strong among MAGA-aligned media figures and supporters, who have continued to criticize both the comedian and ABC for standing by him.

ABC’s parent company, Disney, has not indicated any intention of removing Kimmel, despite mounting pressure from Trump and an unusual move by the FCC to challenge the licenses of ABC-owned stations.

The company has declined to publicly address calls for Kimmel’s dismissal. He remains under contract through next year, and ABC has continued airing his program without signaling any effort to distance itself from him.

Trump has frequently targeted Kimmel over the years, but the current dispute was sparked last week after the comedian joked that First Lady Melania Trump looked like an “expectant widow.”

The remark drew strong backlash from pro-Trump media outlets, particularly in the aftermath of Saturday night’s shooting outside the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

On Monday, Melania Trump urged ABC to “take a stand,” and later that day the president said the network “should” fire Kimmel immediately.

The situation escalated further Tuesday when the FCC, aligned with Trump, directed Disney to begin an early renewal process for eight ABC station licenses—a step widely interpreted as a punitive action.

While the FCC said the move was tied to an ongoing investigation into Disney’s DEI policies, many observers believe it is connected to the dispute over Kimmel and ABC’s refusal to take action against him.

Disney responded by stating that its ABC stations comply with all applicable FCC regulations and that it will defend them through the “appropriate legal channels.”

Trump’s latest comments suggest he intends to continue pressing the issue publicly.

Legal analysts say Disney is likely to succeed if the dispute over station licenses reaches the courts.

Kimmel has not addressed the FCC matter directly in his recent monologues, though he has continued making jokes about Trump. During Wednesday night’s show, he said, “Donald and Melania lately have seemed closer than ever, and I like to think I played a part in that.”

Speaking at a press conference Thursday after the FCC’s monthly meeting, Chairman Brendan Carr repeated that the agency’s actions were tied to its review of Disney’s DEI initiatives and not influenced by Trump’s statements.

“The headlines can be what the headlines are, but that was the basis for our decision,” Carr said, adding there was “no pressure from the outside.”

Democratic FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez rejected that explanation, calling it “clearly a pretext” and arguing the decision is “part of the pattern of harassment and retaliation in order to bend Disney to this administration.”

Free speech organizations and First Amendment advocates have also criticized the administration’s approach and the FCC’s involvement.

“Melania Trump has every right to say Jimmy Kimmel’s joke was vile,” said Greg Lukianoff, president of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. “The First Amendment problem starts when the White House pressures ABC to punish a comedian for protected speech. That’s jawboning. And we’ve unfortunately seen this many times before.”