Jimmy Kimmel had some harsh words for the Trump administration and the FCC during his comeback monologue on Tuesday, September 23.
This comes after his show was suspended ‘indefinitely’ for comments he made on the late Charlie Kirk.
Kimmel’s show came back after 6 days
The Walt Disney Company announced on Monday, September 22, that Jimmy Kimmel Live! would be coming back on Tuesday, September 23, just six days after having been suspended ‘indefinitely’ by ABC.
The suspension came following comments Kimmel made on Charlie Kirk’s murder on Monday, September 15.
Disney put out a statement
In a Monday statement, Disney said, “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.”
He came back on Tuesday
The host came back with an episode on Tuesday, where he addressed the situation in his opening monologue.
After thanking his fellow talk-show hosts, viewers, and even those on the other aisle who stood by him, Kimmel apologized for his words.
The host wanted to make things clear
In a choked up voice, Kimmel said, “I do wanna make something clear, because it’s important to me as a human, and that is, you understand that it was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man,” referring to Kirk’s murder.
“I don’t, I don’t think there’s anything funny about it.”
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He still offers his condolences to the family
Kimmel went on, “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 it was obviously a deeply disturbed individual. That was really the opposite of the point I was trying to make.”
He didn’t mean to ‘point a finger’
He continued, “But I understand that to some that 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. If the situation was reversed, there’s a good chance I’d have felt the same way.”
Kimmel had harsh words for the Trump administration
On a timely front, the host spoke about the importance of free speech, saying, “If we don’t have free speech, then we just don’t have a free country. It’s as simple as that.”
Kimmel shared a clip of President Donald Trump expressing his remarks on the suspension.
Journalists needed information authorized by the Pentagon
The host explained that journalists at the Pentagon had to sign a pledge that they won’t report on information that hasn’t been authorized by the entity itself.
“I know it’s not as interesting as muzzling a comedian but it’s so important to have a free press and it’s nuts that we aren’t paying more attention to it,” Kimmel said.
He ‘never imagined’ something like this would happen
Kimmel continued, “I never imagined I’d be in a situation like this — I barely paid attention in school.”
“But one thing I did learn from Lenny Bruce and George Carlin and Howard Stern is a government threat to silence a comedian the president doesn’t like is anti-American.”
