Jimmy Kimmel returns to ABC, speaks on free speech

Jimmy Kimmel returned to ABC Tuesday night after his show was suspended last week by Disney.

He opened up about his intention, saying “never meant to make light of the killing of a young man,” and acknowledged that his words may have felt poorly timed.

Addressing the cancellation of his show, Kimmel said President Donald Trump “did his best” to cancel him, but the effort backfired, drawing more viewers. He said he disagreed with the decision of getting yanked and added that his return places the channel “at risk” considering the current political climate.

Kimmel thanked Republican Senators Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, and Mitch McConnell for supporting his belief and his right to share that belief. He also praised Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, for forgiving the person who killed her husband, calling it a “selfless act of grace.”

While ABC parent Disney reinstated the show, affiliates Nexstar and Sinclair blocked it from airing in over a quarter of markets. Kimmel criticized the move and pushed back against FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr’s comments suggesting networks take action, calling them a violation of the First Amendment.

President Donald Trump said on Truth Social that he would test ABC after the network’s decision to allow Kimmel back.