Jimmy Kimmel returned to late-night television on Tuesday with a mix of emotion and defiance, addressing the controversy that led to his brief suspension after remarks about conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Kimmel stopped short of offering an outright apology but acknowledged why some viewers were upset.
“I get why you’re upset,” he told his audience, admitting that his comments could have been “ill-timed or unclear or maybe both.” The host insisted, however, that “it was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man” and stressed he had not meant to blame “any specific group” for Kirk’s killing.
At times visibly choked up, Kimmel reminded viewers he had already expressed condolences to Kirk’s family on social media, saying he “meant it” then and continues to stand by those words.
But Kimmel also made it clear he would not back down in the face of criticism, especially from former president Donald Trump. “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 to cheers from the studio audience.
Kimmel responded directly to Trump, who had mocked his ratings and suggested ABC’s decision to reinstate him amounted to an “Illegal Campaign Contribution.” The host said, “He tried his best to cancel me. Instead, he forced millions of people to watch the show. That backfired bigly.” He even joked that Trump might “have to release the Epstein files to distract us from this now.”
The return also featured satire aimed at the Federal Communications Commission. With actor Robert De Niro playing the FCC’s fictional chairman, Kimmel poked fun at what he described as “mob tactics to suppress free speech.” De Niro quipped that praise for Trump’s “beautiful thick yellow hair” would be free, but jokes about his weight would “cost you a couple of fingers, maybe a tooth.”
Kimmel did not hide his displeasure with Disney, ABC’s parent company, for pulling him off the air. “I was not happy when they pulled me off,” he said. “I did not agree with that decision, and I told them that.” Still, he thanked the network for welcoming him back, though warning, “unfortunately, and I think unjustly, this puts them at risk.”
Critics largely praised his comeback. The Boston Globe said Kimmel “sounded like a man speaking with the strength of his convictions,” while Deadline declared he “more than met the moment.” Others, however, accused him of being self-pitying or insincere.
For Kimmel, the episode has cemented his role as one of Trump’s most outspoken media critics, setting the stage for further clashes between the late-night host and the former president.