Jimmy Kimmel praises Republicans who supported him after his suspension upon his return to TV

On his first show after being off the air for a week, Jimmy Kimmel thanked the Republicans who stood up for his show this past week. "It's brave of them to speak out against this administration," Kimmel said. "They deserve credit for that."

He mentioned Senators Ted Cruz, Mitch McConnell, and Rand Paul, among others. These prominent Republicans said last week that it was unwelcome that Kimmel's show appeared to be disappearing from the air under pressure from the federal media regulator, the FCC. They called it a dangerous precedent, among other things, that could allow a future Democratic president to intervene against right-wing TV programs. "I never thought I'd say this," Kimmel said, "but Ted Cruz is right."

Regarding the immediate cause of his suspension – a comment about the murder of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk – Kimmel said Tuesday that he “had no intention” of “making fun of the murder of a young man.”

He also took aim at Donald Trump. "The president of the United States has made it very clear that he wants me and hundreds of employees fired. Our leader is celebrating Americans losing their jobs because he can't take a joke." A government that threatens to silence a comedian it doesn't like is "un-American," Kimmel said.

'Mafia practices'

In the United States, there was much anticipation about what Kimmel would say upon his return. On Wednesday, September 17, Disney, the parent company of the ABC network where the show airs, suspended his program indefinitely. This decision caused a considerable uproar, as it appeared to have been made under political pressure.

Two days earlier, Kimmel had made a comment in his opening monologue that had not been well received by many Republicans. Kimmel had said that the "MAGA group" surrounding Trump was doing everything it could to prove that Charlie Kirk's shooter "wasn't one of them" and was trying to gain "political advantage" from the murder.

Brendan Carr, the Trump-appointed chairman of the FCC, subsequently launched a fierce attack on the program. He called his remarks "the sickest behavior possible" and threatened to revoke ABC's license. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way," he said in a podcast.

Disney's removal of Kimmel a day later sparked widespread outrage. The decision quickly became a focal point of a growing debate about freedom of speech in the US. Ted Cruz called Carr "a nice guy," but his words "extremely dangerous." "It's like a mob boss coming into your bar and saying, 'You have a nice bar, it would be a shame if something happened to it.'" His colleague Rand Paul called Carr's remarks "absolutely inappropriate" (Trump, on the other hand, was jubilant about the show's suspension).

Pressure on Disney quickly mounted: in Hollywood, where the show is filmed, screenwriters and Democratic politicians took to the streets to protest freedom of speech and Disney's decision. According to Google, there was a spike in searches for "cancel Disney Plus," the company's streaming service. Actors like Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep signed a letter urging ABC to bring back Kimmel.

Disney finally announced Monday that the program would return Tuesday night, after discussions with Kimmel. The network further stated that it had made the earlier decision "not to add fuel to the fire in a tense situation during an emotional time for our country." According to the Financial Times , the network was shocked by the discussion that had arisen.

Not yet back on TV everywhere

Kimmel's opening monologue—which began to a thunderous applause from the audience—was longer than usual Tuesday night, alternating between jokes and serious moments. He said Disney had asked him to explain how to reactivate your Disney Plus subscription and revealed that a German comedian had offered him a job. "This country has become so authoritarian that the Germans are now saying to me: come here."

Kimmel also said he disagreed with Disney's decision to cancel the show, but thanked the company for the opportunity to bring it back. "This is risky for them," he said.

The comedian also addressed the controversial jokes he made last week that led to his temporary suspension. "I understand some may have found these comments ill-timed or unclear," he said emotionally. He also expressed his appreciation for conservative political commentators Ben Shapiro and Clay Travis, who also spoke up for the show. He called FCC chairman Carr "the most ridiculous car Republicans have embraced since the Cybertruck."

Just before the broadcast, President Donald Trump had raged on his social network, Truth Social. He called Kimmel an "extension of the Democratic Party" and appeared to threaten a defamation lawsuit. "Last time I went after them [ABC], they gave me $16 million," he wrote, referring to a previous settlement with the network.

Kimmel's return doesn't entirely resolve the issue. Regional networks Sinclair and Nexstar, which operate a large number of local TV stations, refused to air the show on Tuesday. They had quickly expressed their displeasure to ABC after Kimmel's remarks. According to a New York Times reconstruction, this also played a significant role in ABC's decision to temporarily suspend the show.

Both media companies operate primarily in Republican states like Texas and Alabama. Sinclair demanded an apology from Kimmel to Charlie Kirk's family. Nexstar is currently engaged in a $6 billion merger with competitor Tegna, for which it requires FCC approval.

Whether the two will maintain their boycott of Kimmel remains to be seen. In international media, experts and insiders expressed surprise that Sinclair and Nexstar are seeking a fight with Disney. Disney, with its extensive sports rights, holds much greater sway over the two smaller companies. By Tuesday evening, they hadn't blinked. Kimmel was nowhere to be seen in major cities like St. Louis, New Orleans, Salt Lake City, and Nashville.