Jimmy Kimmel returns with defiant stance as he widens clash with Trump
In his comeback, the late-night host acknowledges criticism over remarks about Charlie Kirk’s death but refuses to back down from satire of the former president amid a mounting political-media clash.
Jimmy Kimmel returned to his late-night program Tuesday with a defiant but somber tone, addressing the controversy sparked by his remarks about the death of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk and signaling he will not be silenced by critics or by Donald Trump. In a comeback that mixed sorrow with resolve, the host acknowledged that some viewers found his comments ill-timed or unclear, but he did not offer an apology for the broader discussion about free speech and accountability.
During the monologue, Kimmel recalled last week’s remarks that tied the man suspected of Kirk’s death to the so-called Maga milieu and compared Trump’s reaction to “how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish.” He said he never intended to mock the murder and noted that his Instagram message sending love to Kirk’s family was sincere, even as the controversy erupted.
Yet, Kimmel made clear the clash with Trump would continue. He told the studio audience that while the show is not the issue, defending the right to satire powerful figures is essential. “This show is not important. What is important is that we get to live in a country that allows us to have a show like this,” he said, as clips of Trump ridiculing him played for the crowd. He added that Trump’s attempts to “cancel” him had backfired by driving millions to watch the program; he suggested the political fight would only intensify the show’s reach.
Trump has signaled that Kimmel’s return will escalate the confrontation with both the comedian and Disney-owned ABC. In posts before the taping, Trump described Kimmel as a Democrat mouthpiece and said the host puts ABC at risk. He teased that the network might pay a price, joking, “Let’s see how we do,” a line tied to Disney’s settlement of a defamation suit Trump filed after an ABC anchor implied he was found liable for rape. The episode underscored how dynamic a long-running feud between a president and a media conglomerate has become, with a settlement and ongoing litigation serving as backdrop.
On the show’s return, Kimmel also addressed Disney directly. He said he was not happy about being pulled from the air, but acknowledged that the network welcomed him back and thanked them, while warning that the suspension could still put them at risk.
Trump has also targeted fellow late-night hosts Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers as part of his broader media criticisms, a pattern Kimmel referenced as he pressed back on a climate where free speech and satire are under intense scrutiny. In a late-night sketch during the episode, Kimmel satirically enlisted Robert De Niro—one of Trump’s most vocal Hollywood critics—to play the new FCC chairman, portraying the agency as using “mob tactics” to suppress jokes about the president.
Kimmel asked De Niro, in character, how costly a joke about Trump could be, and the reply riffed on a tongue-in-cheek price list for criticizing the president. The moment underscored the host’s view that government power should not be used to silence comedians, even as the controversy surrounding his own remarks continued to echo through the industry.
Kimmel’s return drew a wave of reaction from critics and observers. LateNighter founder and publisher Jed Rosenzweig said the monologue turned a high-pressure moment into something moving, fearless and funny. Deadline’s Dominic Patten wrote that Kimmel “more than met the moment” on Tuesday, and Mediaite’s Tommy Christopher praised the host for speaking with conviction. The Boston Globe’s Chris Vognar called the performance forceful. The New York Times’ Mark Walker noted that some on the right accused Kimmel of faking emotion, while others felt his remorse wasn’t explicit enough. The Telegraph’s Kara Kennedy labeled the piece self-pitying in parts, arguing that the row would continue regardless of the host’s stance.
This may be the end of Kimmel’s suspension, critics said, but it also marks the start of a sharper, more pointed era in the ongoing clash between a president who frequently targets media platforms and a late-night host who has used his platform to scrutinize political power.
Overall, the episode placed the two-week-old dispute at the center of late-night discourse, highlighting how the boundaries of satire, accountability, and press freedom are being tested in real time under the glare of a polarized political environment. As Trump presses his case against Kimmel and ABC, industry watchers will be watching not just for the jokes, but for how the networks balance editorial independence with the pressure that comes from a highly publicized clash between a president and a popular comedian.