Why is Jimmy Kimmel back on air, and why is Trump furious about it?

Less than a week after ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! over Kimmel’s controversial comments about the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Disney, which owns ABC, reversed its decision and reinstated the late-night host.

This reversal has angered United States President Donald Trump and his allies, escalating tensions between the White House and the network.

Trump not only denounced the move publicly but also suggested potential legal and regulatory actions against ABC.

The entire saga has unfolded against the backdrop of Trump’s wider campaign against news organisations and broadcasters that he accuses of bias, while critics argue that his administration is using regulatory threats and lawsuits to silence dissenting voices.

Why was Jimmy Kimmel Live! suspended?

The controversy began on September 15, when Kimmel addressed the recent killing of Charlie Kirk during his opening monologue.

Kirk, a well-known right-wing activist, media personality, and founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot on September 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.

During the segment, Kimmel remarked that Trump supporters were trying to portray Kirk’s accused killer “as anything other than one of them,” suggesting they were attempting to “score political points” by politicising the tragedy.

These comments triggered immediate backlash among Trump allies, who argued that Kimmel had crossed a line.

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr was particularly vocal, appearing on a podcast earlier in the day and warning ABC that unless it “took action” regarding Kimmel’s remarks, the network could face a federal investigation for “news distortion.”

Carr went further, issuing a stark warning: “We can do this the easy way or the hard way.” He later described Kimmel’s comments as “some of the sickest conduct possible.”

The pressure quickly increased as two of the largest groups of ABC affiliate stations in the country — Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair Broadcast Group — announced they would stop airing Jimmy Kimmel Live! in response to the uproar.

On September 17, Disney and ABC suspended production of the show, pulling it off the air. The network later explained that the decision was made to de-escalate tensions during a sensitive moment.

In a statement released on September 22, 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.”

This statement marked the first acknowledgment from Disney that Kimmel’s remarks were viewed internally as poorly timed but not necessarily intended to be malicious.

How did Kimmel react on his return to late-night TV?

On September 23, Kimmel returned to his usual late-night slot and directly addressed the controversy during the opening of his show. Fighting back emotion, he sought to clarify his comments and expressed remorse for the way they were perceived.

“It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man. I don’t think there’s anything funny about it,” Kimmel told the audience.

“Nor was it my intention to blame any specific group for the actions of what was obviously a deeply disturbed individual — that was really the opposite of the point I was trying to make.”

Kimmel also spoke about Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, praising her for publicly expressing forgiveness toward her husband’s alleged killer, a 22-year-old technical school student from Utah.

He said he was “deeply” moved by her reaction, which he called remarkable in its grace and compassion.

The late-night host went on to criticise Trump’s broader approach to media, arguing that the US president’s actions are not limited to comedians but extend to journalists and news organisations.

“He’s suing them, he’s bullying them,” Kimmel said of Trump’s treatment of the press.

“I know that’s not as interesting as muzzling a comedian, but it’s so important to have a free press, and it is nuts we’re not paying more attention to it.”

The decision has left the network in an awkward position, with Nexstar and Sinclair still refusing to broadcast the show, effectively blacking it out across large portions of the country.

How did Trump & Co. respond to Kimmel’s return?

Trump has been relentless in his criticism of ABC’s decision to reinstate Kimmel.

Just hours before the show’s return, he posted on Truth Social, “I can’t believe ABC Fake News gave Jimmy Kimmel his job back. The White House was told by ABC that his Show was cancelled! Something happened between then and now because his audience is GONE, and his ‘talent’ was never there.”

In another post, Trump accused ABC of political bias and hinted that keeping Kimmel on the air might constitute an illegal campaign contribution to Democrats.

“Why would they want someone back who does so poorly, who’s not funny, and who puts the Network in jeopardy by playing 99% positive Democrat GARBAGE. He is yet another arm of the DNC and, to the best of my knowledge, that would be a major Illegal Campaign Contribution. I think we’re going to test ABC out on this.”

Trump also alluded to a previous legal dispute with ABC, in which Disney paid him $16 million to settle a defamation lawsuit involving ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos.

That case stemmed from an incident in March 2024, when Stephanopoulos incorrectly stated on-air that Trump had been found “liable for rape” in a civil case brought by writer E Jean Carroll.

The jury had, in fact, found Trump liable for sexual abuse, not rape under New York law.

In December 2024, Disney agreed to pay $15 million toward Trump’s future presidential library and an additional $1 million in legal fees as part of the settlement.

“Last time I went after them, they gave me $16 Million Dollars,” Trump wrote in his post. “This one sounds even more lucrative. A true bunch of losers! Let Jimmy Kimmel rot in his bad Ratings.”

When ABC first pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live! on September 17, Trump celebrated what he mistakenly believed was the permanent cancellation of the show.

“Great News for America: The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED,” he wrote on Truth Social that day.

“Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done. Kimmel has ZERO talent, and worse ratings than even Colbert, if that’s possible. That leaves Jimmy and Seth, two total losers, on Fake News NBC. Their ratings are also horrible. Do it NBC!!! President DJT.”

At a press conference in the United Kingdom shortly after, Trump doubled down, attributing the show’s suspension to poor performance rather than political controversy.

“Jimmy Kimmel is not a talented person. He had very bad ratings, and they should have fired him a long time ago. So, you know, you can call that free speech or not. He was fired for lack of talent.”

Trump also incorrectly claimed that Kimmel “said a horrible thing about a gentleman called Charlie Kirk.”

In reality, Kimmel never criticised Kirk personally, instead targeting what he saw as the political exploitation of Kirk’s murder by Trump supporters.

Andrew Kolvet, a spokesperson for Turning Point USA, the organisation Kirk founded, condemned Disney and ABC for allowing Kimmel to return.

“Disney and ABC caving and allowing Kimmel back on the air is not surprising, but it’s their mistake to make,” Kolvet wrote on X.

Why is Trump furious about Kimmel’s return?

The Kimmel controversy is part of a much larger conflict between Trump and major US media organisations. Since returning to the presidency in January, Trump has repeatedly targeted broadcasters and publications he perceives as hostile.

February 12, 2025: Trump removed the Associated Press (AP) from the White House press pool, cutting off its direct access to the Oval Office, Air Force One, and closed-door events.

This move came after AP refused to adopt Trump’s directive to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America.”

The AP later sued, and a district court sided with the wire service on First Amendment grounds. However, a federal appeals court placed the ruling on hold in June.

May 2025: Trump signed an executive order halting federal funding for NPR and PBS, accusing them of biased reporting.

The order also instructed federal agencies to root out indirect sources of financial support for public broadcasters. NPR and three local stations filed a lawsuit challenging the move.

Congress later approved eliminating $1.1 billion in funding for public broadcasting.

July 2, 2025: CBS parent company Paramount Global paid Trump $16 million to settle a lawsuit related to the editing of a 60 Minutes interview with then-US Vice President Kamala Harris, who was the Democratic presidential candidate at the time.

July 18, 2025: Trump launched a $10 billion lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal and News Corp owner Rupert Murdoch after the paper published a story linking him to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The article cited a 2003 letter allegedly signed by Trump and included in a private album created for Epstein’s 50th birthday.

July 18, 2025: CBS announced it would cancel The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in May 2026, citing financial reasons.

Colbert, one of Trump’s most outspoken late-night critics, had recently attacked Paramount over its settlement with Trump, raising questions about the timing of the decision.

September 19, 2025: A federal judge in Florida dismissed Trump’s $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, calling it overly long and filled with irrelevant language.

US Judge Steven Merryday wrote, “A complaint is not a megaphone for public relations or a podium for a passionate oration at a political rally.”

Trump has been given 28 days to file an amended complaint not exceeding 40 pages.

This series of actions illustrates the extent to which Trump has engaged in battles with the press and entertainment industry, often using legal mechanisms to challenge reporting and content he deems unfair.

With inputs from agencies

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