De Niro Joins Kimmel, Takes on Role as “New” FCC President
On Tuesday, actor Robert De Niro made a guest appearance on Jimmy Kimmel’s show, which was marked by a humorous video skit depicting De Niro as the “new” president of the FCC.
Kimmel took aim at President Trump with an exaggerated claim about attempting to infringe on First Amendment rights. De Niro enhanced this narrative with a pre-recorded segment where he embodied a tough persona.
“We’re really in the middle of something unprecedented. After 23 years, we’re suddenly not reaching 20% of the country. That just isn’t going to happen,” he asserted, praising the show’s ongoing relevance from his fictitious Washington office.
In character, De Niro critiqued media personality Whoopi Goldberg, suggesting she needs to show some decorum, or else her view might be limited—“the only view she’s getting is from under George Washington,” he quipped.
De Niro maintained that he hadn’t threatened Goldberg, but rather was imparting a lesson. “No, I never threatened Mr. Goldstein; I was just teaching about consequences,” he stated.
He added, “The FCC chair is merely a suggestion to tone things down. Free speech? That doesn’t exist anymore. Now we’re going after people for their words.”
De Niro continued to imply that praise for Trump is free, but any jokes about him could come at a cost. “You can call him beautiful with that thick yellow hair, but if you joke that he takes up two seats on the Epstein jet, well, that can get pricey,” he remarked.
This segment aired shortly after Kimmel’s recent week-long suspension tied to an incident involving the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, where a suspect falsely claimed he was “MGA.”
Despite Kimmel’s return and celebration, two major broadcasting networks, Sinclair Broadcasting Group and Nexstar, continue to refuse to air Jimmy Kimmel Live in their markets.
Ratings for Kimmel’s show have been declining for years, particularly among the 18 to 49 demographic. For instance, viewership dropped from 212,000 in January to just 129,000 by August.
