By Michelle Ndaga
Jimmy Kimmel returned to the ABC airwaves on September 23, 2025, with a pointed defense of free expression after a brief suspension sparked by his remarks on the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Opening Jimmy Kimmel Live! with a candid monologue, the comedian clarified that his earlier comments were intended to criticize the politicization of Kirk’s death, not to assign blame to any group.
He expressed regret over the controversy but firmly stood by his right to speak freely.
Kimmel also thanked supporters from across the political spectrum, including conservatives such as Senator Ted Cruz and commentator Ben Shapiro, who opposed what they described as government overreach by the Trump administration and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr. Their defense, Kimmel noted, underscored the importance of safeguarding free speech regardless of political alignment.
The return broadcast, however, drew immediate backlash from former President Donald Trump. In a post on X, Trump threatened to sue ABC, accusing the network of acting as “an arm of the Democratic National Committee.”
The dispute escalated further when several ABC affiliates, including stations owned by Nexstar and Sinclair, declined to air the episode, highlighting the polarizing nature of the controversy.
The episode marks a high-profile flashpoint in ongoing tensions between media figures and political leaders as debates over speech, regulation and partisanship intensify ahead of the 2026 election cycle.
While Kimmel framed his return as a defense of artistic and journalistic freedoms, Trump’s reaction suggests that battles over the boundaries of free expression remain far from settled.
