- Jimmy Kimmel returned to the air on Tuesday, Sept. 23, after being suspended by Disney.
- Jimmy called out FCC Chairman Brendan Carr and President Donald Trump in his first monologue back on the air.
- Donald Trump reacted to Jimmy Kimmel Live!’s return by threatening to sue ABC—again.
Jimmy Kimmel Live! returned to the airwaves on Tuesday, September 23 (unless your local ABC station is controlled by affiliate networks Nexstar and Sinclair, that is). After a week of silence, fans finally got to hear from Jimmy Kimmel in his first monologue back where he belongs: on our screens.
Jimmy was suspended last Wednesday, after a comment he said about MAGA’s response to Charlie Kirk’s killing was deemed insensitive by Donald Trump-appointed FCC Chairman Brendan Carr. (Jimmy’s exact words were, “The MAGA gang [is] desperately 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.”)
So to say that the public had been dying to hear what the late night host would finally have to say on the matter would be an understatement. Didn’t catch Jimmy Kimmel’s first monologue back from suspension? Allow us to break it down for you.
Jimmy Kimmel Clarifies His Comments on Charlie Kirk and Thanks Supporters
After walking out to a standing ovation from the crowd, a visibly moved Jimmy delivered his highly-anticipated monologue. And, after some brief thanks to his fellow late night talk show hosts around the world, he turned to the fans. “I also want to thank all of you,” he told the audience.
“You supported our show and cared enough to do something about to make your voices heard so that mine will be heard. I will never forget it,” he continued. “And maybe most of all, I want to thank the people who don’t support my show or what I believe, but support my right to share those beliefs anyway.”
Jimmy also addressed the allegations that he joked about Charlie Kirk’s death and clarified that he did not blame the MAGA right for the shooter's actions. “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,” he said, choking up.
Jimmy Kimmel Calls Out FCC Chairman Brendan Carr and Donald Trump
Jimmy went on to tackle the main issue at hand: free speech. Calling the FCC’s actions “un-American” and “dangerous,” the late night host added, “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 then directly called out FCC Chairman Brendan Carr for his threats to ABC and the affiliate networks, calling his actions “a direct violation of the First Amendment.” His monologue later featured a guest appearance by Robert De Niro, who played the new FCC Chairman—a clear jab at Brendan’s mafioso tactics.
Finally, Jimmy directly called out President Trump for delighting in Jimmy Kimmel Live!’s potential cancelation, saying bluntly, “Our leader celebrates Americans losing their livelihoods because he can’t take a joke. He was somehow able to squeeze Colbert out of CBS, then he turned his sights on me, and now he’s openly rooting for NBC to fire Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers and the hundreds of Americans who work for their shows who don’t make millions of dollars.”
He continued, “And I hope if that happens, or if there is even any hint of that happening, you will be ten times as loud as you were this week. We have to speak out against it because it’s not stopping. And it’s not just comedy, he’s gunning for our journalists, too.”
What Happens to Jimmy Kimmel Live Now?
There has been a lot of speculation about what Jimmy Kimmel’s return means—and what happened to convince Disney to bring him back. (Boycotts work, people!) However, just because Jimmy’s relationship with the Disney company appears to remain in tact doesn’t mean Jimmy Kimmel Live isn’t still in jeopardy.
As of now, two major affiliate channel owners, Sinclair and Nexstar, are still refusing to carry Jimmy Kimmel Live!. And that’s a lot of missing airtime. In his monologue, Jimmy said that he wasn’t airing in “20 percent of the country,” including major cities like Nashville, Portland, Washington D.C., and Salt Lake City. While the show is still available in clips via YouTube, or streaming on Disney+ and Hulu, this could mean a serious hit in ratings and revenue.
Meanwhile, the President is already plotting his revenge. He responded to the news of Jimmy’s return on Truth Social, accusing the show of being “99 percent positive Democrat GARBAGE” and calling the comedian “yet another arm of the DNC.” He even seemed to suggest that Disney’s employment of Jimmy could consist of “a major illegal Campaign Contribution.”
Trump went on to threaten ABC with legal action, writing, “I think we’re going to test ABC out on this. Let’s see how we do. Last time I went after them, they gave me $16 million. This one sounds even more lucrative.”
We may have won the battle, but the war rages on.
