Jimmy Kimmel returned to late-night television on Tuesday with an emotional monologue that rebuked President Donald Trump and criticized federal pressure on broadcasters, drawing a standing ovation in his Hollywood studio and renewed conflict with powerful ABC affiliate owners who still refuse to carry his show. At one point, in a line that rippled across social media, Kimmel joked that Trump “might have to release the Epstein files to distract us from this,” a quip that underscored the host’s intent to resume combative political commentary on his first night back after a six-day suspension.
The host opened by defending free expression and addressing head-on the remarks about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk that led ABC to pull “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” from its schedule on 17 September. “Our government cannot be allowed to control what we do and do not say on television, and we have to stand up to it,” he said, before adding through tears that “it was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man.” He told viewers he understood why some found his earlier comments “ill-timed or unclear,” but said the suspected gunman “does not represent anyone,” calling the attack the act of “a sick person.”
Kimmel then shifted to the political backdrop of his suspension, claiming the White House sought his removal and describing attempts to silence comedians as “un-American.” He thanked supporters from across the spectrum, including some conservatives, and said he was “embarrassed” to have taken the ability to speak freely for granted “until they pulled my friend Stephen [Colbert] off the air” and pressured affiliates to drop his program. The audience, which had greeted him with prolonged cheers and chants, remained on its feet for stretches of the 16-minute address.
Returning to one of his sharpest targets, Kimmel mocked Trump’s public celebration of the suspension and his claims about the show’s ratings. “I feel sorry for the president because he tried his best to cancel me. Instead, he forced millions of people to watch the show,” Kimmel said, adding: “He might have to release the Epstein files to distract us from this.” The Los Angeles Times recorded the exchange and the line about the Epstein materials; international outlets later highlighted the jab as the moment that most visibly stunned parts of the crowd.