Overview
- On his first night back, Kimmel said he never intended to make light of Charlie Kirk’s killing and framed the suspension as a free-speech issue, criticizing President Donald Trump and FCC Chair Brendan Carr.
- Nexstar and Sinclair said they will continue to pre-empt Jimmy Kimmel Live! on their ABC stations, affecting roughly 22–23% of U.S. TV households, with Sinclair urging an apology to the Kirk family.
- Disney restored the show after calling Kimmel’s earlier remarks “ill-timed and thus insensitive,” while Kimmel said he disagreed with the decision to pull him but thanked the company for reinstating him.
- Trump renewed attacks on ABC and Kimmel on Truth Social, calling the network’s support a “major illegal campaign contribution” to Democrats and suggesting he would “test ABC,” while citing a prior settlement with ABC News.
- Authorities have not determined a motive for the suspected shooter, Tyler Robinson, a key uncertainty that continues to fuel disputes over how Kimmel characterized reactions to the crime.