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Kimmel was pulled off air after comments on Kirk’s killing sparked a political storm. Less than a week later, Disney reversed its decision. Here’s what led to the reinstatement
Late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel. (REUTERS)
Jimmy Kimmel is back on air, and audiences are watching in record numbers. The first new episode since his suspension drew more than 6.3 million TV viewers and set new records online, even as dozens of ABC affiliates continued to block the broadcast.
Why Was Kimmel Reinstated?
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The Walt Disney Company, which owns ABC, said it suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! “to avoid further inflaming a tense situation” in the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s killing, which it described as “an emotional moment for our country.” In a follow-up statement on Monday, Disney said Kimmel’s remarks had been “ill-timed and thus insensitive,” but not malicious, and confirmed the decision to return the show after what it called “thoughtful conversations with Jimmy.”
When he came back on air, Kimmel told viewers it was never his intention to make light of Kirk’s murder or to blame any political group.
The reinstatement followed days of mounting backlash. Viewers cancelled subscriptions to Disney’s streaming platforms, with hashtags such as #CancelDisney trending online. Susan Campbell, a media studies professor, told Reuters that “consumers were exercising their own First Amendment rights” by ending their subscriptions.
Hollywood unions representing more than 400,000 workers condemned the suspension, while actors including Tom Hanks, Jennifer Aniston and Misha Collins publicly backed Kimmel. Former President Barack Obama also criticised the move, warning that giving in to government pressure risked undermining free speech. Meanwhile, Disney’s stock value fell by 2.39 per cent, nearly five billion dollars, during the suspension.
What Triggered The Suspension?
The controversy stemmed from comments made by Kimmel after the killing of Charlie Kirk, a 30-year-old conservative activist, media personality and founder of Turning Point USA. Kirk was shot dead on September 10 while speaking at a university event in Utah. His alleged killer, Tyler Robinson, 22, was arrested after a 33-hour manhunt. Right-wing figures claimed Robinson was “left-wing”.
While Kimmel condemned the murder as “horrible and monstrous,” his later monologues criticised the way President Donald Trump and his MAGA supporters reacted. On his show, he said: “The MAGA gang (is) desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”
Kimmel also mocked Trump’s own response, saying it resembled “how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish.”
Conservatives, including Trump allies, accused Kimmel of smearing their movement and exploiting a death for political purposes. Major affiliate groups Nexstar and Sinclair, which together own local television stations covering nearly a quarter of US households, announced they would stop airing Jimmy Kimmel Live!. Soon after, on September 17, ABC suspended production of the show.
How Did Political Pressure Shape The Decision?
The suspension was announced shortly after Brendan Carr, chairman of the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC), criticised Kimmel’s remarks. Carr called them “truly sick” and warned ABC that unless it acted, the network could face repercussions. The FCC regulates broadcast licensing, so such comments carried weight even though the commission traditionally does not intervene in programme content.
Carr’s warning — “We can do this the easy way or the hard way” — was seen by critics as a government threat to free speech. The sole Democrat on the FCC board, Anna Gomez, later called it “clear government intimidation.” Barack Obama also weighed in, saying media companies needed to stand up to “government coercion” rather than capitulate.
The backdrop was a wider campaign by Trump’s administration against outlets and personalities seen as hostile. Since returning to the presidency in January 2025, Trump has clashed with the Associated Press, NPR, CBS and others through lawsuits, funding cuts and regulatory threats. Earlier this year, for instance, the AP was removed from the White House press pool after refusing to adopt a directive on renaming the Gulf of Mexico, and federal funding for NPR and PBS was cut off entirely. The Kimmel controversy fit into this broader pattern.
What Did Kimmel Say On His Return?
When Jimmy Kimmel Live! returned, the host addressed the controversy in an emotional monologue. He said he never intended to minimise Kirk’s murder and praised Erika Kirk, the activist’s widow, for showing what he called remarkable grace and compassion in publicly forgiving the alleged killer.
Kimmel did not apologise for criticising Trump and his allies. Instead, he reiterated concerns about free speech, saying threats from the FCC amounted to a violation of the First Amendment. He mocked Trump for celebrating attempts to cancel livelihoods over political disagreements, quipping that the suspension had only boosted his audience.
The nearly 30-minute monologue blended humour and pointed commentary, becoming the most-viewed segment of his career online.
How Did Trump React?
Trump had initially celebrated what he thought was the cancellation of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, calling it “great news for America.” After the reinstatement, he attacked ABC and Disney, accusing them of bias and even suggesting the network’s decision could amount to an “illegal campaign contribution” to Democrats.
On his Truth Social platform, Trump derided Kimmel as talentless and claimed poor ratings justified removing him. He also hinted at potential lawsuits against ABC, noting past settlements with broadcasters who had misrepresented him. Turning Point USA, the conservative youth organisation founded by Charlie Kirk, also condemned Disney’s decision. Spokesperson Andrew Kolvet said the company had “caved” by putting Kimmel back on air.
The president’s criticism underscored his longstanding battles with late-night hosts, several of whom, including Stephen Colbert and Seth Meyers, have frequently lampooned him.
How Have Audiences Responded?
Despite being blacked out in Nexstar and Sinclair markets, Kimmel’s return drew extraordinary attention. According to ABC, the first reinstated episode averaged 6.3 million viewers on traditional television, more than three times the show’s usual audience. Among viewers aged 18 to 49, it was the programme’s highest-rated regularly scheduled episode in over a decade.
Online, the nearly 30-minute monologue about free speech has become Kimmel’s most-watched segment ever. It passed 15 million views on YouTube, while ABC said combined viewership across TV, YouTube and other platforms had already reached tens of millions, with streaming audiences rising at more than a million views per hour.
The Bottom Line
Jimmy Kimmel Live! was reinstated because Disney judged that the cost of keeping the show off air, in financial losses, reputational damage and criticism over free speech, outweighed the risks of bringing it back. While affiliates like Nexstar and Sinclair continue to block the programme, Kimmel’s record ratings show that the controversy has amplified his reach.
About the Author
Karishma Jain, Chief Sub Editor at News18.com, writes and edits opinion pieces on a variety of subjects, including Indian politics and policy, culture and the arts, technology and social change. Follow her @kar…Read More
Karishma Jain, Chief Sub Editor at News18.com, writes and edits opinion pieces on a variety of subjects, including Indian politics and policy, culture and the arts, technology and social change. Follow her @kar… Read More
September 25, 2025, 08:57 IST
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