Kari Lake, President Donald Trump’s nominee for U.S. ambassador to Jamaica, criticized Jimmy Kimmel on Newsmax for what she called a too-friendly interview with Texas Democrat James Talarico. She invoked the equal-time principle and noted FCC Chair Brendan Carr’s January guidance urging late-night programs to consider offering comparable airtime to rival candidates. Drawing on her 30 years in broadcast news, Lake accused outlets of losing impartiality and said the segment lacked hard questions.
Kari Lake: Media 'Lost Their Impartiality' After Jimmy Kimmel Interview
(Mariam Zuhaib/Associated Press)
Kari Lake, nominated by former President Donald Trump to serve as U.S. ambassador to Jamaica, criticized late-night host Jimmy Kimmel for a congenial interview with Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico during a Friday appearance on Newsmax.
The dispute centers on the broadcast equal-time principle: when a station gives airtime to a political candidate, it may need to offer comparable time to opponents. Historically, talk shows and entertainment programs have often been treated as exempt under a carve-out for bona fide news interviews, but FCC Chair Brendan Carr issued guidance in January saying late-night programs should be mindful of equal-time obligations for rival candidates.
Lake argued that the tone of Kimmel’s segment was unusually light and raised concerns about fairness and balance in coverage. Speaking on Rob Schmitt Tonight, she referenced her longtime career in journalism and called for parity in how candidates are treated on air.
"I worked in broadcast news for 30 years, and it's real basic," Lake said. "You have one person on, you have the other — both sides."
"He has had Donald Trump on, but they also had Hillary Clinton on back then," she added.
Lake recalled intense scrutiny during her own campaign and said she found the Kimmel interview surprisingly soft. "The media attacked me relentlessly when I ran for office," she said. "I can't even imagine having such a light interview like that. If they were to put the Texas Republican on, they would have been attacking him and spreading lies."
"They've lost their ability to be non-biased, and it is almost a joke to watch that, because there wasn't one tough question asked," she said. "It's so painful."
The exchange underscores a broader debate over where to draw the line between entertainment and news on television, and how regulators should apply equal-time considerations to segments that mix politics with comedy or lifestyle content. Lake's comments reflect both a personal grievance and a policy argument about broadcast fairness.
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