Jimmy Kimmel returned to late-night television Tuesday evening, addressing the controversy that got him suspended for comments he made about the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.During his opening monologue, Kimmel told viewers it was “never my intention to make light” of Kirk’s death..“I don’t think there’s anything funny about it,” he said.“I posted a message on Instagram on the day he was killed, sending love to his family and asking for compassion, and I meant it. And I still do.”He did, however, say that government interference in entertainment and media was a dangerous step and a threat to democracy.“Our government cannot be allowed to control what we do and do not say on television,” Kimmel said.“We have to stand up to it.”Jimmy Kimmel Live! had been suspended by ABC for almost a week after he had made comments about the “MAGA gang” trying to characterize Tyler Robinson — the suspect charged with murdering Kirk — as anything other than one of them, while doing everything they could to score political points from it..US President Donald Trump did not take kindly to the news, posting on Truth Social: “I can’t believe ABC Fake News gave Jimmy Kimmel his job back. The White House was told by ABC that his show was canceled! Something happened between then and now because his audience is gone.”Trump then hinted he might pursue legal action against the network, writing, “Let Jimmy Kimmel rot in his bad ratings.”Kimmel mocked Trump’s attacks, saying the president “did his best to cancel me. Instead, he forced millions of people to watch the show … That backfired bigly.”Responding to Trump’s claim that his program had “no ratings,” Kimmel quipped, “I do tonight.”.UPDATED: Jimmy Kimmel Live! returns Tuesday after Disney pause.Kimmel thanked Disney, ABC’s parent company, for bringing his show back but admitted the move came with possible risks.“The president of the United States made it very clear he wants to see me and the hundreds of people who work here fired from their jobs,” he said.“Our leader celebrates Americans losing their livelihoods because he can’t take a joke.”Kimmel thanked conservative figures who defended his right to free expression, even if they had past disagreements with him.“I never would have imagined that Ben Shapiro, Clay Travis, Mitch McConnell, Rand Paul, even my old pal Ted Cruz … it takes courage for them to speak out against this administration. They did, and they deserve credit for it.”Not all ABC affiliates carried Kimmel’s triumphant return. Stations owned by Sinclair and Nexstar pre-empted his program with alternative broadcasts Tuesday night.
