FBI report filed after Olbermann threat linked to Kimmel return, Jennings says

CNN's Scott Jennings says he has reported Keith Olbermann to the FBI after Olbermann appeared to threaten him in an online exchange about Jimmy Kimmel's return to late-night television. The escalation stems from a dispute over Kimmel's status after a controversy surrounding remarks about conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Jennings, a former political analyst, surfaced the exchange on X (formerly Twitter) and said he alerted federal authorities to what he described as a violent threat.

The sequence began when Jennings commented on ABC's decision to reinstate Kimmel following the host's remarks about Charlie Kirk. In response, Olbermann wrote a post that has since been deleted: “You’re next mother******.” Jennings then shared a screenshot of Olbermann's remark and tagged FBI Director Kash Patel, arguing that the message amounted to a direct threat. The exchange has since drawn attention to the broader political and media dynamics at play as networks navigate controversy over talk-show hosts and the boundaries of online conduct.

The incident comes amid a highly visible dispute over Kimmel's fate at Sinclair Broadcast Group-owned outlets. Sinclair, which operates ABC affiliates in several markets, had demanded an apology and a donation to Turning Point USA to bring Kimmel back to the air. Disney, which owns the ABC network, approved Kimmel's reinstatement last week, and the decision was announced Monday afternoon, roughly a week after the original remarks caused the controversy. Sinclair, however, has continued to withhold Kimmel from its ABC stations, the only major owner still keeping him off air at the time of reporting.

Olbermann, known for his Countdown program on MSNBC from 2005 to 2011, had previously used social media to criticize Kirk and to comment on the broader media firestorm surrounding Kimmel. Last week he suggested that Kirk was “burning in hell,” a remark that fed into the charged online atmosphere around the debate over accountability for its commentators and outlets. The latest turn—Jennings' FBI referral—has added a new legal dimension to a dispute that had already spilled into social media, corporate strategy, and local-news dynamics.

This is a developing story; authorities have not publicly commented on the referral, and there is no indication of any charges filed at this time. The episodes illustrate how political discourse and media policy continue to intersect with online rhetoric, online platforms' role in moderating such discourse, and corporate decisions about what appears on local-airwaves amid partisan contention. As Kimmel’s return progresses in markets where Sinclair has editorial control, observers will be watching to see how the combination of corporate strategy, social-media conduct, and federal oversight influences the hosting landscape for late-night television.

If new details emerge, the public will be updated as events unfold. The situation underscores ongoing tensions in US political communication, where media personalities, network executives, and political figures alike navigate a charged environment in which digital exchanges can quickly escalate into formal inquiries and policy questions.