September 24, 2025
Jimmy Kimmel Live!/YouTube
In his return to late-night TV, Jimmy Kimmel addresses his suspension for comments he made in the aftermath of the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Comedian Jimmy Kimmel marked his return to late-night television Tuesday with a nearly 30-minute monologue on free speech that addressed the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, the conduct of Federal Communications Chairman Brendan Carr and the effect of his show's suspension on American democracy.
"(Freedom of speech) is something I'm embarrassed to say I took for granted until they pulled my friend Stephen (Colbert) off the air and tried to coerce the affiliates who run our show in the cities that you live in to take my show off the air," Kimmel said Tuesday, referencing Paramount's decision to end Colbert's show on as it sought FCC approval of its $8 billion merger with Skydance Media in July. "That's not legal, that's not American. That is un-American, and it is so dangerous."
ABC, which is owned by Disney, suspended "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" last week after he criticized the response of some conservatives to the death of Kirk, who was fatally shot Sept. 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University. Kimmel said the "MAGA gang" was "trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it."
ABC's decision to suspend Kimmel came after Carr appeared on a conservative podcast and urged ABC affiliates not to air Kimmel's show, saying "we can do this the easy way or the hard way." Carr's remarks prompted Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair Broadcast Group, which together own about 70 ABC affiliate stations, to replace Kimmel's program. Nexstar is seeking FCC approval for a $6.2 billion merger which Tegna, which would create the largest local media company in the U.S.
Kimmel's suspension prompted a debate over free speech. Many rushed to Kimmel's defense, calling Carr's comments a violation of the First Amendment and an effort to censor criticism of President Donald Trump's administration. But though Kimmel returned Tuesday, Nexstar and Sinclair did not air his show.
In his return speech, Kimmel thanked his supporters, particularly those who disagree with his politics but felt his rights were being threatened. He said it took courage to stand against the Trump administration. He also offered clarity on his original comments and thanked Disney for allowing him to return.
"I've been hearing a lot about what I need to say and do tonight, and the truth is, I don't think what I have to say is going to make much of a difference. If you like me, you like me. If you don't, you don't. I have no illusions about changing anyone's mind," Kimmel said. "But I do want to make something clear, because it's important to me as a human, and that is, you understand that it was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man. I don't think there's anything funny about it."
Later in his monologue, Kimmel noted that Trump and Carr have been advocates for free speech as recently as 2022, and pointed to a social media post from Carr saying that political satire is one of the oldest and most important forms of free speech and often a target for censorship.
Kimmel then voiced his support for fellow comedians facing threats from the Trump administration, including a Truth Social post from Trump that called for the cancellation of NBC's late night shows featuring Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers. Kimmel said Trump is threatening the livelihood of comedians and the people that work for them, because "he can't take a joke." Should the shows of Fallon and Meyers be pulled, Kimmel encouraged supporters to speak out and be "10 times as loud as you were this week."
Kimmel also sounded the alarm for similar threats against journalists, pointing to Trump's defamation lawsuit against the New York Times, which was dismissed Friday, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's demand that reporters pledge not to report any information that hasn't been explicitly authorized for release, including unclassified information.
"I know that's not as interesting as muzzling a comedian, but it's so important to have a free press and it is nuts that we aren't paying more attention to it," Kimmel said.
Watch the full clip below:
