Trump Pressures Disney to Remove Kimmel Amid Controversy
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Apr 28 2026
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Should l Buy DIS?
Source: CNBC
- Escalating Political Pressure: Trump and Melania Trump have called for Disney to remove Kimmel after he referred to Melania as an 'expectant widow,' igniting significant political controversy that could impact Disney's public image and viewership ratings.
- Show Suspension Incident: Kimmel's show was briefly suspended due to his comments about conservative activist Charlie Kirk, highlighting the media's vulnerability under political pressure, which may lead to self-censorship in future programming.
- FCC Review Rumors: Reports indicate that the FCC is preparing to review Disney's broadcast licenses, although not directly related to Kimmel's remarks, this scrutiny could affect Disney's operational strategies and market performance.
- Historical Precedent: The Kimmel incident may set a precedent for the Trump administration's pressure on media, particularly in the context of merger approvals with other media companies like CBS, potentially leading to a more stringent regulatory environment.
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Analyst Views on DIS
Wall Street analysts forecast DIS stock price to rise
19 Analyst Rating
16 Buy
3 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 100.480
Low
123.00
Averages
137.29
High
152.00
Current: 100.480
Low
123.00
Averages
137.29
High
152.00
About DIS
The Walt Disney Company is a diversified worldwide entertainment company. The Company's segments include Entertainment, Sports and Experiences. The Entertainment segment generally encompasses its non-sports focused global film and episodic content production and distribution activities. The lines of business within the Entertainment segment along with their business activities include Linear Networks, Direct-to-Consumer, and Content Sales/Licensing. The Sports segment encompasses its sports-focused global television and direct-to-consumer (DTC) video streaming content production and distribution activities. The lines of business within the Sports segment include ESPN and Star. The Experiences segment includes Parks and Experiences and Consumer Products. Parks and Experiences consists of Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, Disneyland Resort in California, Disney Cruise Line, and others. Consumer Products includes licensing of its trade names, characters, visual, literary and other IP.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
- Revenue Growth Highlight: Disney's Q1 revenue increased by 7% year-over-year to $25.17 billion, surpassing market expectations by $320 million, indicating strong performance across multiple business segments, particularly in entertainment and experiences.
- Segment Performance: The entertainment segment saw a 10% revenue increase, including a 4% boost from the Fubo transaction, while higher subscription and affiliate fees contributed to overall revenue growth, reflecting success in content sales and theatrical distribution.
- Operating Income Improvement: Disney reported total segment operating income of $4.60 billion for the quarter, exceeding the consensus estimate of $4.38 billion, showcasing enhanced profitability across all business areas, especially with experiences segment income reaching $2.62 billion.
- Positive Future Outlook: Disney anticipates total segment operating income of approximately $5.3 billion in FY26, with EPS growth of about 12% to $6.64, and plans to execute at least $8 billion in share repurchases in FY26, demonstrating confidence in future growth.
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- Stock Performance Weakness: Despite Disney's theme parks achieving record revenue and profits, the stock has plummeted 42% over the past year, with only a 10% rise, indicating a lack of investor confidence compared to overall market returns.
- Cautious Earnings Expectations: Wall Street anticipates a modest 5% revenue growth to $24.8 billion for the second quarter, with earnings per share expected at $1.50, reflecting only a 3% year-over-year increase, highlighting a slowdown in profit growth.
- External Challenges Intensify: The spike in fuel prices due to the war in Iran may pressure Disney's theme parks, particularly from international visitors, while increased travel costs could dampen future bookings, adding uncertainty to the company's operations.
- CEO's First Earnings Call: New CEO Josh D'Amaro will make his debut in the upcoming earnings call, with the market hoping for positive guidance to prevent further stock declines, especially given the numerous challenges the company is currently facing.
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- War Ending Anticipation: Stock futures rose as Axios reported that the Iran war may soon end, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq hitting record highs yesterday, reflecting investor optimism about economic recovery prospects.
- Aerospace Stock Surge: Travel and aerospace stocks are poised to benefit if the war concludes, with Boeing shares up about 4% and Delta Airlines rising 6%, indicating strong market expectations for a rebound in air travel demand.
- Optical Technology Deal: Corning and Nvidia announced a significant deal, with Corning set to build three new plants, increasing its domestic optical manufacturing capacity tenfold, leading to a 15% surge in Corning's stock, highlighting strong demand for optical technology over copper.
- AI Market Growth: AMD's second-quarter guidance exceeded expectations, predicting the server CPU market will reach $120 billion by 2030, with AMD shares soaring 15%, indicating sustained growth in the semiconductor industry driven by AI technology.
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- Disney's Technological Approach: Disney emphasizes the use of technology to fundamentally change how work is accomplished within the organization.
- Innovation in Work Processes: The company aims to leverage technology to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in its operations.
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- Earnings Beat: Disney's adjusted earnings per share for Q2 reached $1.57, surpassing analyst expectations of $1.50, indicating a significant improvement in profitability, with a projected 12% growth in earnings per share for the full fiscal year likely to bolster investor confidence.
- Revenue Growth: The company reported a 7% year-over-year revenue increase to $24.9 billion, exceeding Wall Street estimates, reflecting strong performance in its streaming and resort businesses, which could drive future market share gains.
- Streaming Profitability Milestone: Disney's direct-to-consumer segment achieved a double-digit operating profit margin for the first time, marking a significant milestone in the company's efforts to enhance streaming profitability, which is expected to attract more users and elevate brand value.
- ETF Impact: With Disney's stock rallying, 25 ETFs that include Disney among their top 15 holdings may benefit, even as the stock remains down about 12% year-to-date, suggesting that this rebound could draw more investor attention to related funds.
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- Consumer Spending Resilience: Despite gasoline prices rising to $4.54 per gallon, Uber and Disney's earnings reports indicate that consumer spending remains robust, with Uber's CEO noting no signs of weakening local spending, reflecting economic resilience.
- Uber Performance Growth: Uber's delivery business saw a 34% revenue increase in the latest quarter, reaching $5.07 billion, while ride-hailing revenue grew 5% to $6.8 billion, showcasing a strong recovery in commuting demand.
- Disney's Strong Results: Disney's experiences segment, which includes theme parks and cruises, posted nearly $9.5 billion in quarterly revenue, up 7% year-over-year, with global attendance rising 2%, despite a slight decline in domestic park visitation.
- Market Expectations Surpassed: The strong performances from Uber and Disney defy market expectations for a slowdown in consumer spending, as both companies show no signs of pullback despite global economic uncertainties.
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