Jimmy Kimmel made his return to ABC on Tuesday night, days after being suspended by the network after threats came from FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, and hopeful statements from President Donald Trump that he would be fired and replaced.
Kimmel did not avoid the topic of his suspension or his comments about Charlie Kirk’s shooter in opening his monologue.
He clarified his statements about Kirk’s shooter, saying it was never his intention to create controversy or cause strife to a grieving family.
“I’ve been hearing a lot about what I need to say and do tonight,” Kimmel said. “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.
“But I do want to make something clear, because it’s important to me as a human: It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man,” he said, fighting back tears. “I don’t think there’s anything funny about it. I posted a message on Instagram the day he was killed, sending love to his family and asking for compassion, and I meant it and still do. Nor was it my intention to blame any specific group for the actions of what was obviously a deeply disturbed individual. That was really the opposite of the point I was trying to make. But I understand that, to some, it felt either ill-timed or unclear, or maybe both. And for those who think I did point a finger, I get why you’re upset.”
Jimmy Kimmel later continued by taking aim at FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr and President Donald Trump. Carr had threatened ABC and Disney with potential action if they did not address the comments made by Kimmel, while Trump championed the move, saying the late-night host had no talent and no ratings.
“In addition to being a direct violation of the First Amendment, it’s not a particularly intelligent threat to make in public,” said Jimmy Kimmel. “Ted Cruz said he sounded like a mafioso.”
“I’ve done almost 4,000 shows on ABC, and over that time, the people who run this network have allowed me to evolve and stretch the boundaries of what was once traditional for a late-night talk show, even when it made them uncomfortable — which I do a lot,” he later continued. “Every night, they’ve defended my right to poke fun at our leaders and to advocate for subjects I think are important by allowing me to use their platform, and I’m very grateful for that.
“With that said, I was not happy when they pulled me off the air,” Kimmel said. “I did not agree with that decision, and I told them that. We had many conversations, I shared my point of view, they shared theirs, and we talked it through … They welcomed me back on the air, and I thank them for that. Because I know, unfortunately and unjustly, this puts them at risk. 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 our jobs. Our leader celebrates Americans losing their livelihoods because he can’t take a joke.”
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