Jimmy Kimmel returned to his late-night stage Tuesday night and urged viewers to stand up to President Trump’s threats against free speech in the US. In a powerful monologue, Kimmel assailed “anti-American” efforts to curtail free speech, signaling that he won’t temper his criticism of the president after a nearly week-long suspension of his show amid pressure from the Trump administration.
Kimmel spoke about spending time with comedians from countries where people get thrown in prison for making fun of those in power, and how lucky they are to have freedom to speak. He also praised the widow of Charlie Kirk’s assassin, Erika, who spoke at a memorial service about forgiving her husband’s killer. Kimmel predicted that ABC and its parent company Disney would come under further scrutiny from the Trump administration for reinstating his show.
The comedian called out Trump for openly rooting for his cancellation and said “Our leader celebrates Americans losing their livelihoods because he can’t take a joke.” He also mentioned Trump’s threat to NBC to fire “Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon. Kimmel urged viewers to speak out against this and received a standing ovation from the studio audience.
Kimmel expressed gratitude to Disney for allowing him to use their platform night after night, but was not happy with the suspension. He poked fun at the fact that his show was preempted in dozens of markets across the US due to Sinclair and Nexstar’s protests.
In the end, Kimmel made some jokes at Trump’s expense, sharing a clip of Trump attacking him on Air Force One and retorting on stage: “Well, I do tonight.” The comedian’s return marked a significant moment in the ongoing battle over free speech and the role of late-night television in holding those in power accountable.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/09/23/media/jimmy-kimmel-abc-return-audience-reactions