Overview

• Less than a week after being pulled over remarks tied to the killing of Charlie Kirk, Jimmy Kimmel returned to his show with an emotional defense of free expression.
• He said he never intended to make light of Kirk’s death or to blame a political group, acknowledging that some viewers found his earlier monologue unclear.
• Nexstar and Sinclair withheld the program from their ABC affiliates, and Sinclair signaled it wants a formal apology before restoring carriage.
• President Donald Trump criticized the reinstatement on Truth Social and said he would “test” ABC, suggesting possible legal or regulatory moves.
• FCC chair Brendan Carr previously threatened investigations and penalties over the broadcast, and Kimmel’s return episode surged online to roughly 14 million YouTube views, vastly above his recent average.