'Be careful': Trump warned Kimmel 'game of chicken' could leave his admin 'up the creek'

Donald Trump’s use of FCC chair Brendan Carr to rid himself of major network critics is turning into a “game of chicken” where he doesn’t seem to understand that he has more to lose, according to an analyst.

During an appearance on MSNBC with host Anna Cabrera, Deadline Hollywood editor Dominic Patten claimed there is still an ongoing debate among execs at ABC/Disney about when to bring popular host Jimmy Kimmel back and if they did the right thing by putting his show on “indefinite” hiatus.

On top of that, he noted that Trump no longer understands the current state of linear television with his obsession with Kimmel’s ratings, which no longer reflect reach and popularity in the age of streaming.

“I will tell you one thing, though, that's very interesting. And [MSNBC’s] Vaughn Hillyard’s analysis particularly made me think of this. This is really a game of chicken with the FCC and with Trump," he told the MSNBC host.

“You know it's interesting what the president said?” he observed. “He talked about bad publicity. He talked about ratings. He sounds like a man who's living in the early 2000 and not in the age of streaming and digital.”

“And people should be careful,” he warned. “They can remember that linear TV is, by everyone's acknowledgment, changing and certainly declining in its audience share. The FCC's reach can only go so far in 2025, and they might find themselves up the creek without the regulatory paddle they think they're wielding so powerfully.”

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