Robert De Niro crashed Jimmy Kimmel Live! on September 30, 2026, reprising his mafia-style parody of Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr with a baseball bat during the show’s week of broadcasts from Brooklyn.
Robert De Niro Crashes Jimmy Kimmel Live! in Brooklyn With a Baseball Bat
The late-night host was deep into his monologue during the show’s residency at the Brooklyn Academy of Music when the unannounced guest arrived. Kimmel had just brought up his history with the federal regulator, reminding viewers about what he jokingly called an unexpected FCC vacation week that pulled the program off the air the previous year. That suspension followed a controversial joke about the death of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.
Stepping onto the stage in a navy suit and carrying a baseball bat, De Niro immediately launched into character as the federal official. He prodded Kimmel in the stomach with the bat while questioning the host’s framing.
You’re being threatened by the FCC? Who is threatening you? Am I threatening you? Do you feel threatened by me?
Robert De Niro playing Brendan Carr, via Mashable
When Kimmel asked for his name and business, the parody official shot back with a string of profanities and claimed he was conducting a routine inspection to verify compliance with broadcast license terms. The bit drew heavily on mob-movie tropes, evoking De Niro’s famous portrayal of Al Capone in The Untouchables.
His résumé includes an Oscar-winning turn as young Vito Corleone in The Godfather Part II, Al Capone in The Untouchables, and, most recently, both Frank Costello and Vito Genovese in The Alto Knights.
The Inspection Dossier Targets 192 Trump Insults and Equal-Time Rules
The sketch quickly turned into a review of the host’s monologue material. A woman portraying devoted presidential aide Natalie Harp handed De Niro a dossier detailing 192 instances of Kimmel poking fun at the president’s appearance.
De Niro’s character rattled off several nicknames the host had used on air over the past year, including “Mar-a-Lardo,” Benito Gasolini,
and Captain Cankleroo.
When Kimmel tried to interject, the fictional chairman struck him and barked at him to stay silent.
Every time you insult the president, you got to follow it with something nice.
Robert De Niro playing Brendan Carr, via Mediaite
To illustrate the policy, De Niro offered a convoluted example involving Jeffrey Epstein’s birthday party and a poem, prompting Kimmel to point out the obvious. It just seems to me like you're trying to control what I do and do not say by abusing the power of the federal government,
Kimmel said. De Niro grinned in response, telling him he finally understood.
A Continuing Feud Between the Administration and Hollywood
The Wednesday night appearance marked the second time De Niro has played the character on the show. He first debuted the mob-boss FCC chairman role on September 23, 2025, the night Kimmel returned from his suspension. That initial sketch responded directly to comments the real Brendan Carr made on a podcast hours before the suspension, where he suggested late-night hosts could be handled the easy way or the hard way
.
The ongoing clash reflects a broader tension between the administration and prominent entertainment figures. De Niro, an outspoken critic of Donald Trump, has frequently clashed with the president, who has publicly dismissed the actor as a sick and demented person
with a low IQ.
As the Brooklyn week continues, the late-night program remains a focal point for battles over regulatory oversight and broadcast speech. Before leaving the stage, De Niro offered a final warning to the host, mentioning that he needed to head downtown to put a fire out at ABC News.
Keep reading
Discover more from Archyworldys
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.