Things you need to know about Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night TV show suspension and revival

New York (AP) – ABC Will Recover Jimmy Kimmel A late-night show after the network pulls hosts into the air indefinitely after criticising Kimmel’s comments about the murder of a conservative activist Charlie Kirk Early this month.

Network officials said in a statement Monday that they had “a thoughtful conversation with Jimmy” and “we have reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday.”

Kimmel’s comments didn’t focus broadly on Kirk, a close ally to President Donald Trump. They targeted Trump and what Kimmel called his “Maga Gang” because of his response to the murder. In response to comments from Kimmel, two of ABC’s biggest affiliate owners, Nexstar and Sinclairsaid they would pull the show from their associated stations. ABC later paused the show.

In response to Kimmel’s return to work, Andrew Colbert, spokesman for the organization that founded Kirk, was a spokesman for the organization that founded Turning Point USA, who said in a post from X:

On Monday, Sinclair said at X that they are planning to replace Jimmy Kimmel Live, where they returned! “A discussion with ABC is ongoing as we evaluate the potential returns of the show.”

There were no immediate comments from Nexstar in response to a message from the Associated Press. Kimmel, whose contract with the Walt Disney-owned network expired in May 2026, did not immediately comment on his suspension or recovery.

Here’s what we know:

Why did Kimmel’s show come back after it was suspended?

Initially, ABC did not explain why it stopped “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, which the network has been airing since 2003. However, Nexter and Sinclair said they would stop airing Kimmel’s show, citing “aggressive and insensitive” comments and “disputed comments about the murder of Charlie Kirk,” respectively.

On Monday, Walt Disney, which owns ABC, provided more explanations. “We have decided to pause production of the show to avoid further inflammatory tension in our country’s emotional moments. That’s a decision we made because some of the comments felt worse and therefore inanimate.”

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Kerr called Kimmel’s comments “really ill” and warned that if Kimmel was not punished, the network and its local affiliates could face the impact. Kerr denied on Monday that he threatened to revoke ABC’s local station license for Kimmel’s remarks.

When broadcasting Kimmel, Walt Disney said, “We had our last day of thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday.”

What did Kimmel say after Kirk’s death?

Kimmel called Kirk’s death a “meaningless murder” the day after the fatal Utah shooting, and he denounced people who appear to celebrate it – and Trump is about to It holds the “radical left” accountable.

He also spoke about the aftermath at both the following Monday and Tuesday shows, targeting responses from both Trump himself and his presidential supporters.

The comic was particularly focused on Shooter suspect Tyler Robinson.

“The Magagang is desperately trying to characterise this child who is doing everything he can to kill Charlie Kirk as something other than one person and score political points from there,” Kimmel said in a monologue on Monday. “There was sadness between my points.”

Kimmel said Trump’s response was “not a way for adults to grieve someone he called a friend. This is how a four-year-old child grieves the goldfish.” He also said FBI chief Kash Patel handled the investigation into the murder.

On Tuesday night, Kimmel chuckled at Vice President JD Vance’s performance as guest host for Kirk’s podcast.

How did Trump respond to the suspension?

Kimmel’s suspension came along with wider efforts by Trump and other conservatives Police speech after Kirk’s murder. It is also marked the latest efforts of the Trump administration. It will influencing the US media landscape.

In a post on his true social platform after Kimmel’s pause, Trump praised ABC for “the courage to do what he has to do,” and claimed Kimmel has “no talent.”

At a press conference during a visit to the UK the following day, the president also said that the ABC should have fired the comedian long ago. “You can call that freedom of speech, he was fired for his lack of talent,” he said.

How did other people react?

Kimmel’s suspension was drawn to Both criticism and praise.

Former President Barack Obama wrote in a social media post Thursday The current administration had to endure “government enforcement” that “were reached a new and dangerous level by routinely threatening regulators against media companies” unless they were targeting reporters, firefighters and commentators they didn’t like.”

FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, an appointee of the Biden administration, said Social Media Posts It: “We cannot allow unacceptable conduct of political violence that is twisted into justification of government censorship and control.”

Megin Kelly, a former Fox news and conservative podcaster of NBC, has argued that Kimmel’s suggestion that Kirk’s murderer might have been a Trump supporter was a “screepy and nasty lie.”

Others expressed shock and concern about what it means for free speech, including actor Jean Smart. “What Jimmy said was free speech, not hate speech. People seem to want to protect their freedom of speech only when it fits their agenda,” Smart wrote on social media, saying that Kirk is still “sick” to death.

Later a Democrat in Congress The bill has been announced The aim is to strengthen free speech protection for government officials. While it is unlikely to gain traction in Republican-controlled Congress, the move reflected sharp criticism of Kimmel’s suspension. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer too He asked for the fire of Carr..

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AP Media Writer David Bauder contributed to this report.