By: Snigdha Chakravarti
On September 23, 2025, comedian and television host Jimmy Kimmel returned to his show Jimmy Kimmel Live! after a 6-day suspension. Kimmel was suspended for inappropriate remarks regarding the death of right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk. Both his suspension and return to the show have resulted in debates over the degree of such appropriateness in comments in a country where freedom of speech is considered a guaranteed right.
Outrage burst following Kimmel’s comments over Kirk’s death, saying how President Trump’s “maga gang” was “”desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them” and attempting to “score political points from it”. Furthermore, Kimmel mocked the President’s reaction to Kirk’s death, comparing this to how “a four-year-old mourns goldfish.” Brendan Carr, the chair of the FCC (Federal Communications Commission), warned that he would act against Disney (the owner of ABC) and ABC (the owner of Kimmel’s show) over Kimmel’s remarks. Eventually, the show was suspended by Disney, who “felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive.” However, after the suspension, Disney+ and Hulu cancellation rates doubled: Disney+’s went from about 4% to 8%, which is roughly equivalent to 3 million subscribers, while Hulu’s rose to about 10%, or about 4 million subscribers. Additionally, the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) believed that suspending Kimmel went against free speech rights. Hence, they wrote a letter condemning Kimmel’s suspension, calling it a “dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation.” Many Hollywood celebrities, including Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, Hasan Minhaj, and Amber Ruffin, also signed the letter in support of Kimmel.
Sinclair Broadcasting and Nexstar Media Group brought the show back to their ABC stations after initially preempting its return. Nexstar Media remarked how they were “committed to protecting the First Amendment while producing and airing local and national news that is fact-based and unbiased” and ensuring that the communities’ “best interests” were prioritized.
Despite the 26 million people that watched Kimmel’s return, many, including the President himself, continued to denounce him. President Trump suggested that there are certain television networks (referring to Jimmy Kimmel Live!) that should have their licenses taken away. He also directly called out Kimmel, saying that he put out “99% positive democrat GARBAGE.” In addition to this, Vice President Vance has been trying to launch a national campaign set to punish anyone who criticized Kirk’s death. On the other hand, other Republicans, like Senator Ted Cruz, had a different view that went against that of the President and Vice President. Cruz deemed that government pressure against such networks wasn’t safe and viewed Brendan Carr’s threats against Disney and ABC as “dangerous.”
Following his return to Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Kimmel appeared in another show, namely James Colbert’s Late-Night Show, for his first interview after the suspension. Kimmel explained how the suspension was “an emotional rollercoaster” and “very strange.” He went on to say how 90 minutes before his show was scheduled to start, he received a call that his show would be cancelled. Comparing his suspension to “three days in jail,” Kimmel thought that his show would never return on air again. Regarding his thoughts on the President’s remarks over Kimmel’s suspension, he explained how he “never imagined that we’d ever have a president like this,” specifically one who was “celebrating hundreds of Americans losing their jobs.” In his view, Trump was the “opposite of what a leader in this country is supposed to be.” Nevertheless, Kimmel did wish to make one thing clear with respect to Kirk’s death: he claimed that it wasn’t his “intention to make light of the murder of a young man.” Kimmel posted a message sending his love to the family following Kirk’s assassination and also understood why many were upset after the comments he made about the murder.
Kimmel’s return has elicited varied responses, but one thing remains clear: the story behind Kimmel’s suspension and return will fuel more debates in this country over the extent of freedom of speech as well as how it defines our democracy.