'CBS Mornings' Turns Tense After Tony Dokoupil Takes Aim At Jimmy Kimmel

"CBS Mornings" took an unexpected turn on Thursday when Gayle King was left momentarily speechless after her co-host Tony Dokoupil unleashed a surprisingly blunt critique of Jimmy Kimmel. The exchange came during a segment about Kimmel's return to late-night television following his controversial suspension, and it quickly turned into a pointed commentary on the business of late-night comedy in a deeply divided America. During the segment, King highlighted how Kimmel's return episode delivered his biggest audience in years, leading to an abrupt cut-in from Dokoupil.

The numbers were particularly notable given that Sinclair and Nexstar, two major TV operators controlling about 70 ABC affiliates, have refused to broadcast the show, leaving nearly a quarter of American households without access. "Which kind of makes the numbers even more extraordinary, a big chunk of the country couldn't get it," King said, pointing to the millions of views Kimmel has also drawn on YouTube and social media platforms.

But Dokoupil wasn't ready to celebrate. Cutting into the discussion, he threw cold water on King's analysis by pointing out the economic reality.

"But the 26 million [views] on social media, most of that money doesn't go to ABC," Dokoupil said flatly. "And the business is bad if you're offending half the country, ones that voted for the guy he doesn't like. So. Here we are. Good luck, late-night."

The comment left King visibly stunned, briefly silent in her anchor chair before moving on.

Kimmel's rocky return to the late-night stage came after Disney reinstated "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on Tuesday night, following a four-day suspension. The punishment stemmed from his controversial remarks about the suspect in Charlie Kirk's assassination, with the host mocking the "MAGA gang" for trying to distance itself from accused killer Tyler Robinson.

The suspension was the culmination of months of escalating tension, with Trump repeatedly targeting Kimmel and other late-night hosts on social media. Sinclair and Nexstar's decision to continue blocking the show underscores just how polarized the late-night space has become.

Adding to the drama, King herself has also been in Trump's crosshairs. Just last month, the president declared on Truth Social that "Gayle King's career is over," blasting her as having "no talent, no ratings, no strength." King brushed off the attack, telling viewers, "Well, I'm sorry he feels that way. But I like my job, and I'm just going to continue to do a good job."

Trump's criticism was fueled by reports suggesting King and other CBS staffers had resisted management's attempts to soften the network's political coverage.

Behind the scenes, "CBS Mornings" continues to struggle with ratings, and insiders suggest King's long-running tenure may be nearing its end. Her contract, set to expire in May, will "most likely" not be renewed, according to well-connected sources.

Complicating matters further, Paramount Global, CBS's parent company, recently merged with Skydance Media, handing control to David Ellison, son of billionaire Trump ally Larry Ellison. The merger was approved by the FCC just days before CBS announced the cancellation of Stephen Colbert's late-night show, set to end in May as well.

While Jimmy Kimmel's suspension dominated headlines, ABC itself is now caught in the political crossfire. When the comedian taped his first monologue back on Tuesday night, he half-jokingly predicted that his reinstatement would "unfortunately and unjustly" put the network under renewed government pressure. Within an hour, President Trump seemed to confirm his fears.

In a fiery Truth Social post, Trump threatened new legal action against ABC, blasting the network for airing what he called "99% positive Democrat GARBAGE." He accused Kimmel of acting as an "arm of the DNC" and suggested that such coverage could qualify as an "Illegal Campaign Contribution." Trump also claimed the late-night host's "audience is GONE" and promised to "test ABC out on this," though he provided no legal reasoning to support his remarks.

As of now, ABC has not issued a public response to Trump's threats.