Robert De Niro Parodies FCC Chair in Kimmel Appearance

Robert De Niro appeared Wednesday on Jimmy Kimmel Live! as a comic portrayal of Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr, carrying a baseball bat and confronting the host during a sketch about the FCC and Kimmel’s jokes about President Donald Trump. The segment followed Kimmel’s monologue about his past disputes with the regulator. Referring to the show’s return after what he called an “unexpected FCC vacation week,” Kimmel said that, in his view, the situation had not improved and that the FCC was still threatening him. That statement was Kimmel’s on-air characterization; the accounts of the segment do not establish what specific FCC action he meant or independently verify a threat. De Niro then entered in character as Carr, asking Kimmel whether he felt threatened and prodding him with the bat. The sketch used the fictional official’s authority as a comic device, with the character announcing a routine inspection and reading from a supposed list of the host’s remarks about Trump. The performers’ exchange included physical comedy, with De Niro appearing to slap Kimmel.