NEW YORK (AP) 鈥 ABC will reinstate Jimmy Kimmel鈥檚 late night show in the wake of criticism over his comments about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, officials with the network said Monday.
“We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday,鈥 said a statement from the network.
ABC Kimmel indefinitely on Wednesday after comments he made about Kirk, who was killed Sept. 10, in a monologue. Kimmel said 鈥渕any in MAGA land are working very hard to capitalize on the murder of Charlie Kirk鈥 and that 鈥渢he MAGA gang鈥 was 鈥渄esperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them.鈥
ABC announced Monday that it will reinstate Jimmy Kimmel鈥檚 late-night show in the wake of criticism over his comments about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. (Sept. 22, 2025)
AP VideoKimmel has hosted 鈥淛immy Kimmel Live!鈥 on ABC since 2003 and has been a fixture in television and comedy for even longer. He is also well known as a presenter, having hosted the Academy Awards four times.
Backlash to Kimmel鈥檚 comments was swift. two of ABC鈥檚 largest affiliate owners, said they would be pulling 鈥淛immy Kimmel Live!鈥 from their stations. Others, including several fellow , came to his defense.
Sinclair said Monday that it would not air Kimmel’s show Tuesday and would broadcast news programming instead. 鈥淒iscussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show’s potential return,鈥 the company said. There was no immediate comment from Nexstar on its plans for Kimmel’s return.
Andrew Kolvet, a spokesperson for Turning Point USA, the organization founded by Kirk and now headed by his widow, posted on X about Kimmel’s reinstatement: 鈥淒isney and ABC caving and allowing Kimmel back on the air is not surprising, but it’s their mistake to make. Nexstar and Sinclair do not have to make the same choice.鈥
President Donald Trump, one of Kimmel鈥檚 frequent targets, posted on social media that Kimmel鈥檚 suspension was 鈥済reat news for America.鈥 He also called for other late night hosts to be fired. He has yet to comment on Kimmel’s reinstatement.
Kimmel was asked in an interview with Variety this past summer if he was worried that the administration would come after comedians. He expressed concern that a crackdown could be on the way.
鈥淲ell, you鈥檇 have to be naive not to worry a little bit,鈥 he said. 鈥淏ut that can鈥檛 change what you鈥檙e doing.鈥
Kimmel鈥檚 suspension arrived in a time when Trump and his administration have pursued threats, lawsuits and federal government pressure to try to exert more control over the media industry. Trump has reached settlements with and over their coverage.
Trump has also filed defamation lawsuits against and . Republicans in Congress stripped federal funding from .
, the head of the Federal Communications Commission, issued a warning prior to Kimmel鈥檚 suspension that criticized Kimmel鈥檚 remarks about the Kirk assassination.
鈥淲e can do this the easy way or the hard way,鈥 Carr said. 鈥淭hese companies can find ways to change conduct, to take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.鈥
Carr denied on Monday that he threatened to revoke ABC’s local station licenses because of Kimmel’s remarks.
鈥淛immy Kimmel is in the situation he鈥檚 in because of his ratings. Not because of anything that鈥檚 happened at the federal government level,鈥 Carr said at the Concordia Annual Summit.
Kimmel鈥檚 suspension has cast a that require approval from the U.S. government. Disney, for instance, needs approval from the Trump administration for ESPN to complete its , while Nexstar needs the administration鈥檚 approval to complete its $6.2 billion . Sinclair has petitioned the FCC to relax rules limiting broadcaster ownership of stations.
The suspension also happened at a time when the late night landscape is shifting. CBS announced over the summer.
Kimmel鈥檚 contract with The Walt Disney Co.-owned network had been set to expire in May 2026. His representative did not return a message seeking comment Monday.
Word of the reinstatement came as hundreds of Hollywood and Broadway stars 鈥 including Robert De Niro, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Selena Gomez, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep 鈥 urged Americans 鈥渇ight to defend and preserve our constitutionally protected rights鈥 in the wake of
More than 430 movie, TV and stage stars as well as comedians, directors and writers added their Monday from the American Civil Liberties Union that argues it is 鈥渁 dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation.鈥
Also Monday, ABC’s 鈥淭he View鈥 weighed in on the controversy after not raising it for two episodes after Kimmel was suspended. Co-host Whoopi Goldberg opened the show saying: 鈥淣o one silences us鈥 and she and her fellow hosts condemned Disney’s decision.
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This story has been updated to correct that last name of Turning Point USA spokesperson Andrew Kolvet.
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Associated Press Media Writer David Bauder and writers Patrick Whittle and James Pollard contributed to this report.
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