ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel returned to the air on Tuesday after his suspension resulting from a previous episode where he stated conservatives were “desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them.” As Kimmel addressed the matter, he omitted the prevalence of conspiracy theories on the left that led to conservative outrage at his comments.
Kimmel began by thanking all of his supporters for standing up to what he saw as a government led by President Trump and FCC Chairman Brendan Carr trying to silence its critics. He also thanked people who are not his supporters but who nevertheless thought Carr overstepped his authority, “Maybe most of all, I want to thank the people who don't support my show and what I believe but support my right to share those beliefs anyway. I never would have imagined, like, Ben Shapiro, Clay Travis, Candace Owens, Mitch McConnell, Rand Paul. Even my old pal Ted Cruz, who believe it or not, said something very beautiful on my behalf.”
As for the comments that started this whole thing, an emotional Kimmel declared:
I've been hearing a lot about what I need to say and do tonight, and the truth is, I don't think what I have to say is going to make much of a difference. If you like me, you like me, if you don't, you don't. I have no illusions about changing anyone's mind. But I want to make something clear, because it's important to me as a human, and that is you understand that it was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man. I don't—I don’t think there's anything funny about it. I posted a message on Instagram on the day he was killed, sending love to his family and asking for compassion, and I meant it, and I still do.
Kimmel’s most important remarks of the night were:
Nor was it my intention to blame any specific group for the actions of—it was a deeply disturbed individual. That was really the opposite of the point I was trying to make, but to some, that felt either ill-timed or unclear, or maybe both, and for those who think I did point a finger, I get why you're upset. If the situation was reversed, there's a good chance I’d have felt the same way. I have many friends and family members on the other side who I love and remain close to, even though we don't agree on politics at all. I don't think the murderer who shot Charlie Kirk represents anyone, this was a sick person who believed violence was a solution, and it isn’t.
While the tone of Kimmel’s remarks differed greatly from the fiery response he reportedly wanted to give last week, it still did not mention the conspiracy theories that led to conservative anger that Kimmel discussed last Monday and that was then directed at him. Nor does it mention why the killer thought violence was needed.
Because liberals think Kimmel was suspended because of Trump and Carr, Kimmel had to get a few jabs in at their expense. He claimed both men were free speech hypocrites and mocked Trump’s claim that he has no ratings, “Well, I do tonight. It's—you almost have to feel sorry for him. He tried his best to cancel me, instead, he forced millions of people to watch the show. That backfired bigly. He might have to release the Epstein Files to distract us from this now.”
Kimmel wrapped up his opening monologue by emotionally returning to Kirk and offered up some praise for Erika’s speech at Charlie’s memorial service, “There was a moment over the weekend, a very beautiful moment. I don't know if you saw this, on Sunday, Erika Kirk forgave the man who shot her husband. She forgave him. That is an example we should follow. If you believe in the teachings of Jesus, as I do, there it was. That's—that's it. A selfless act of grace, forgiveness from a grieving widow. It touched me deeply, and—I hope it—I hope it touches many, and if there's anything we should take from this tragedy to carry forward, I hope it can be that. Not this. So, thank you for listening, and I’ll have more to say when we come back.”
When he did come back, Kimmel returned to Trump and Carr as actor Robert De Niro appeared in a skit as a mob boss-like Carr. De Niro told Kimmel that, “It’s just me, Jimmy, the chairman of the FCC, gently suggesting that you gently shut the [bleep] up.”
After Kimmel wondered about free speech, De Niro informed him, “Speech, it ain't free no more.”
Kimmel wondered how much speech costs now, and De Niro claimed it, “Depends on what you want to say. Like, you want to say something nice about the president's beautiful thick yellow hair or how he can do his makeup better than any broad, that's free,” but “if you want to do a joke like he's so fat he needs two seats on the Epstein jet, that's gonna cost,” which De Niro suggested would be a “couple of fingers, maybe a tooth, depends on how constipated he is.”
As for the future of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Kimmel’s address probably satisfied his corporate Disney overlords, but whether it was enough to satisfy Sinclair and Nexstar is yet to be seen. It certainly did not meet Sinclair's publicly-stated call for a full apology.
Here is a transcript for the September 23 show:
ABC Jimmy Kimmel Live!
9/23/2025
11:40 PM ET
JIMMY KIMMEL: Maybe most of all, I want to thank the people who don't support my show and what I believe but support my right to share those beliefs anyway. I never would have imagined, like, Ben Shapiro, Clay Travis, Candace Owens, Mitch McConnell, Rand Paul. Even my old pal Ted Cruz, who believe it or not, said something very beautiful on my behalf.
TED CRUZ: I hate what Jimmy Kimmel said, I am thrilled that he was fired.
KIMMEL: Oh, wait, no. Not that. The other part.
CRUZ: But let me tell you, if the government gets in the business of saying, “We don't—
BEN FURGESON: You can't say—
CRUZ: We don't like what you the media have said. We're going to ban you from the airwaves if you don't say what we like,” that will end up bad for conservatives.
KIMMEL: I don't think I've ever said this before, but Ted Cruz is right. He's absolutely right. This affects all of us, including him. I mean, think about it. If Ted Cruz can't speak freely, then he can't cast spells on the Smurfs.
Even though I don't agree with many of those people on most subjects, some of the things they say even make me want to throw up, it takes courage for them to speak out against this administration, and they did, and they deserve credit for it. And thank you for telling their followers that our government cannot be allowed to control what we do and do not say on television, and that we have to stand up to it.
I've been hearing a lot about what I need to say and do tonight, and the truth is, I don't think what I have to say is going to make much of a difference. If you like me, you like me, if you don't, you don't. I have no illusions about changing anyone's mind. But I want to make something clear, because it's important to me as a human, and that is you understand that it was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man.
I don't — I don’t think there's anything funny about it. I posted a message on Instagram on the day he was killed, sending love to his family and asking for compassion, and I meant it, and I still do.
Nor was it my intention to blame any specific group for the actions of — it was a deeply disturbed individual. That was really the opposite of the point I was trying to make, but to some, that felt either ill-timed or unclear, or maybe both, and for those who think I did point a finger, I get why you're upset. If the situation was reversed, there's a good chance I’d have felt the same way. I have many friends and family members on the other side who I love and remain close to, even though we don't agree on politics at all. I don't think the murderer who shot Charlie Kirk represents anyone, this was a sick person who believed violence was a solution and it isn’t.
…
Brendan Carr is the most embarrassing car Republicans have embraced since this one. And that’s saying something. The FCC has a tradition of meddling where they shouldn't under many administrations, but it wasn't always like this. There was an FCC commissioner back in 2022 who worked under Joe Biden who was spot-on. He wrote, “President Biden is right, political satire is one of the oldest and most important forms of free speech. It challenges those in power while using humor to draw more people into the discussion. That's why people in influential positions have always targeted it for censorship.”
You know who wrote that? FCC commissioner Brendan Carr. Who later was appointed chairman of the FCC by this former crusader for free speech.
DONALD TRUMP: If we don't have free speech, then we just don't have a free country. It's as simple as that. If this most fundamental right is allowed to perish, then the rest of our rights and liberties will topple, just like dominos, one by one, they'll go down.
KIMMEL: That was also in 2022. And I wonder, how did that guy turn into this guy?
REPORTER: Who would you like to see replace Kimmel on late night?
TRUMP: A lot of people. Well, a lot of people could. Anybody could replace him, the guy had no talent. Kimmel had — look, he was fired, he had no talent. He's a whack job. But he had no talent. And more importantly than talent — a lot of people have no talent, they get ratings, but he had no ratings.
KIMMEL: Well, I do tonight. It's — you almost have to feel sorry for him. He tried his best to cancel me, instead, he forced millions of people to watch the show. That backfired bigly. He might have to release the Epstein Files to distract us from this now.
…
There was a moment over the weekend, a very beautiful moment. I don't know if you saw this, on Sunday, Erika Kirk forgave the man who shot her husband. She forgave him. That is an example we should follow. If you believe in the teachings of Jesus, as I do, there it was. That's — that's it. A selfless act of grace, forgiveness from a grieving widow. It touched me deeply, and — I hope it — I hope it touches many, and if there's anything we should take from this tragedy to carry forward, I hope it can be that. Not this. So, thank you for listening, and I’ll have more to say when we come back.
,..
12:01 AM ET
KIMMEL: Well, this sounds a little like threats and an intimidation to me, chairman.
ROBERT DE NIRO [AS BRENDAN CARR]: Stop that, look. It’s just me, Jimmy, the chairman of the FCC, gently suggesting that you gently shut the [bleep] up.
KIMMEL: Well, you can't say that, that's a violation of free speech.
DE NIRO: Oh, yeah, about that. Speech, it ain't free no more.
KIMMEL: What? It's not free no more?
DE NIRO: Yeah. We're charging by the word now.
KIMMEL: You're charging by the word. How much are you charging?
DE NIRO: Depends on what you want to say. Like, you want to say something nice about the president's beautiful thick yellow hair or how he can do his makeup better than any broad, that's free.
KIMMEL: Okay. All right. That means reasonable.
DE NIRO: But if you want to do a joke like he's so fat he needs two seats on the Epstein jet, that's gonna cost—
KIMMEL: Okay. Can I just ask for clarity, because it's a pretty good joke, how much would that one cost me?
DE NIRO: Couple of fingers, maybe a tooth, depends on how constipated he is.
KIMMEL: So, is this how things are going to go from now on?
DE NIRO: We also got a new motto at the FCC: Sticks and stones may break your bones.
KIMMEL: And?
DE NIRO: And what?
KIMMEL: Oh. Well, the rest of that is, but I think, but words can never harm you.
DE NIRO: Well, they can harm you now. Just make sure you pick the right words, capisce?
