What did Jimmy Kimmel say last night? The talk show host doesn’t hold back on Disney, Trump, the FCC...
Jimmy Kimmel is back after being suspended from ABC for six days, following his comments on the death of activist Charlie Kirk.
TV host Jimmy Kimmel is back on the air following a six-day suspension by ABC, which stemmed from controversial comments he made regarding the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Kirk was fatally shot in the neck on September 10, while attending an event at Utah Valley University.
“Never my intention to make light of the murder”
During his emotional return to the late-night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Tuesday, Kimmel addressed the backlash surrounding remarks he made on the ABC program on September 15.
“It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man,” Kimmel said, as he fought back tears. “I don’t think there’s anything funny about it. 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.
“Nor was it my intention to blame any specific group for the actions of what is obviously a deeply disturbed individual.”
Kimmel added: “I don’t think the murderer who shot Charlie Kirk represents anyone. This was a sick person who believed violence was the solution and it isn’t. Ever.”
Kimmel said he understood why some found his previous comments “ill-timed”. However, he also criticized what he described as the Trump administration’s attempts to “coerce the [local TV] affiliates who run our show, in the cities that you live in, to take my show off the air”.
“That’s not legal,” Kimmel said. “That’s not American, that is un-American, and it’s so dangerous.”
Jimmy Kimmel addressed the backlash over his comments on the Charlie Kirk shooting, making it clear he wasn’t mocking the victim or blaming any group.
— Blue Georgia (@BlueATLGeorgia) September 24, 2025
“It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man…nor to blame any specific group.”
He condemned violence… pic.twitter.com/DgS9Ah5Eb5
What did Kimmel say to get suspended?
On September 17, Live! was pulled “indefinitely” after Kimmel had said on his show two days earlier: “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA [‘Make America Great Again’] gang 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.”
On Monday, ABC’s parent company, Disney, issued a statement explaining Live!’s return to the airwaves: “Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country.
“It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive.
“We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday.”
Trump hits out at Kimmel return
Meanwhile, President Trump expressed his disapproval of ABC’s decision to reinstate Kimmel. Posting on his Truth Social platform, Trump said he was surprised by the reversal, claiming the White House had been told the show was canceled.
“I can’t believe ABC Fake News gave Jimmy Kimmel his job back,” Trump wrote, adding: “Let Jimmy Kimmel rot in his bad ratings.”
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