Jimmy Kimmel Returns to Late Night With Defiant Defense of Free Speech
In an almost 18-minute comeback monologue, Kimmel addresses his six-day suspension, thanks colleagues, defends the First Amendment, and takes aim at political figures and media threats.
Jimmy Kimmel returned to late-night television Tuesday with an almost 18-minute opening monologue addressing his six-day suspension, signaling a defiant comeback for Jimmy Kimmel Live!
The host told the studio audience, “I’m happy to be here tonight with you. It’s been overwhelming. I’ve heard from a lot of people over the last six days. I’ve heard from all the people in the world over the last six days,” before thanking fellow late-night hosts Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart, Jimmy Fallon, and Seth Meyers for their support. He also noted that, while some people disagree with his show, they should still have the right to share their beliefs. He named Republican Senators Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul of Kentucky, and Ted Cruz of Texas, along with conservative commentator Ben Shapiro, as part of the broader political conversation surrounding the program.
ABC had suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! for an indefinite period last week after comments the host made in a Sept. 15 monologue about conservative activist Charlie Kirk drew the attention of the Federal Communications Commission and prompted pre-emptions by Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair Broadcasting Group across many ABC affiliates. Deadline reported that the show’s return hinged on an agreement reached Monday between Disney and Kimmel’s team, with sources noting there appeared to be no restrictions on what Kimmel could say upon his comeback.
Addressing the talks with Disney during the return, Kimmel said: “At the end, even though they didn’t have to, they really didn’t have to—this is a giant company, we have short attention spans, and I am a tiny part of the Disney Corporation—they welcomed me on the air, and I thank them for that, because I know that unfortunately, and I think unjustly, this puts them at risk.”
Jimmy Kimmel Live! will remain unavailable in many ABC channels, as Nexstar and Sinclair said they will continue to preempt it. Nexstar stated it would “produce local news and other programming relevant to their respective markets” pending assurance that stakeholders are committed to fostering an environment of respectful, constructive dialogue in the markets they serve. Sinclair added that Kimmel’s show would similarly be replaced with news programming while conversations with ABC continue to evaluate the show’s potential return.
On the matter of his remarks about Kirk and the shooter, Kimmel said it was never his intention to make light of the murder of a young man nor to blame any specific group for the actions of what he described as a deeply disturbed individual. He acknowledged that some viewers found those remarks ill-timed or unclear, and he emphasized that he does not view the shooter as representing anyone other than a sick person who believed violence could solve problems.
Trump condemns Kimmel’s late-night return, calling for skepticism toward ABC and the show. On Truth Social, the former president wrote that ABC “Fake News” had rehired a host whose audience he described as “GONE,” accusing Kimmel of being “not funny” and of putting the network in jeopardy by “playing 99% positive Democrat GARBAGE.” He claimed the White House had previously been told ABC canceled the show, suggesting a shift in how the network would proceed. TIME has sought comment from Disney, but response was not immediate.
Kimmel fired back at the political attacks, telling his audience that “our leader celebrates Americans losing their livelihoods because he can't take a joke” and criticizing Brendan Carr, the FCC chair, for threats that he said amounted to an interference with First Amendment rights. He urged viewers to stay vocal if there were any moves to restrict the show, adding that the show’s return would test the tolerance of those who challenge free expression. He also teased that if so-called enforcement actions resumed, viewers should be “ten times as loud as you were this week.”
The late-night host, whose contract is reported to expire in May, returned amid a broader national conversation about free speech and political polarization, with the industry closely watching how networks balance comedic commentary and corporate constraints. While Kimmel’s supporters welcomed the revival as a defense of open discussion, the ongoing preemptions in many markets underscore the fragility of late-night platforms within a multiplatform media landscape.