ABC Reverses Course: Jimmy Kimmel Returns Amid FCC Firestorm and Free Speech Fury

By John Zurcher
Washington, D.C. – September 23, 2025

In a swift about-face that has Hollywood buzzing and Washington seething, Disney-owned ABC announced Monday that “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” will resume airing on Tuesday, September 23, just six days after suspending the long-running late-night staple over host Jimmy Kimmel’s incendiary remarks about the assassination of conservative firebrand Charlie Kirk. The decision, framed by ABC as a bid “to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country,” comes amid blistering backlash against Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr’s threats to yank broadcast licenses from networks airing the show.

Critics from both sides of the aisle decry the episode as a chilling assault on free speech, while supporters hail it as accountability in an era of The saga erupted on September 10, when Kirk, the 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA and a close Trump ally, was gunned down mid-speech at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. The outdoor event, kickoff to Kirk’s “American Comeback Tour,” drew about 3,000 attendees when a single sniper shot from a rooftop felled him instantly. 0 Authorities swiftly identified 22-year-old Tyler Robinson as the suspect, a politically unaffiliated UVU student whose roommate found a chilling note under his keyboard: “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it.” 1 Robinson confessed via text to a romantic partner and turned himself in on September 11, accompanied by his parents, after his mother recognized him from FBI-released photos. 5 Charged with aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm, and witness tampering, Robinson faces the death penalty; prosecutors say he’ll appear in court September 29.

Enter Kimmel. On September 15, in his opening monologue, the Emmy-winning host – fresh off hosting the 2025 Oscars – skewered what he called the “MAGA gang” for allegedly politicizing the tragedy. “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said, accusing Vice President JD Vance of baselessly blaming the left. 11 He mocked Trump’s response to a reporter’s query on Kirk’s death – “How are you holding up?” – with Trump’s curt “Fine.” 19 Kimmel had initially condemned the shooting on Instagram, sending “love” to Kirk’s family. 10

The backlash was ferocious. Conservative outlets branded Kimmel’s words “offensive and insensitive,” with podcaster Benny Johnson accusing him of “blam[ing] [Kirk] for his own murder.” 17 Enter Carr, Trump’s handpicked FCC chair and Project 2025 architect, who on Johnson’s podcast warned ABC: “We can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to change conduct… or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.” 20 Carr accused Kimmel of “mislead[ing] the American public” by implying Robinson was MAGA-aligned, despite court docs revealing the suspect’s “leftist ideology” and hatred for Kirk’s “hate-spreading.” 19 He invoked FCC powers over “news hoaxes,” citing past media missteps like Hunter Biden’s laptop. 23

Hours later, Nexstar Media – eyeing FCC approval for a $6.2 billion Tegna merger – announced it would preempt Kimmel on its 32 ABC affiliates “for the foreseeable future.” 25 Sinclair Broadcast Group, the largest ABC station owner, followed suit, airing a Kirk tribute in Kimmel’s slot. 11 By evening, ABC caved: “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” suspended indefinitely. 14 Trump crowed on X: “Great News for America,” urging NBC to axe Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers. 19

The suspension ignited a firestorm. Hollywood rallied: Ben Stiller tweeted “This isn’t right”; Jamie Lee Curtis shared a Kimmel tribute; Stephen A. Smith questioned, “Where was the joke?” 17 SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild protested outside Disney HQ, decrying “corporate cowardice.” 24 Even Ted Cruz, thrilled at Kimmel’s benching, slammed Carr’s “mafioso” tactics as “unbelievably dangerous,” warning it could boomerang on conservatives if Democrats reclaim power. 21 29 House Democrats, led by Hakeem Jeffries, demanded Carr’s resignation for “corrupt abuse of power,” threatening subpoenas. 28 The ACLU blasted it as a “grave threat to… First Amendment freedoms.” 20 Barack Obama decried the “new and dangerous level” of “cancel culture” from the right. 22

FCC Democrat Anna Gomez insisted the agency can’t dictate content, per the First Amendment. 25 Legal experts note Carr’s threats skirt statutory limits, but the chill effect is real: Networks, merger-hungry, folded fast. 26 Kimmel’s team was told not to report Thursday; no future episodes were planned until now.

This isn’t just about one monologue. It’s a referendum on media-government entanglement in Trump’s America, where jokes can topple empires and snipers rewrite narratives. Will Kimmel tread lighter? Or roar back, testing Carr’s “not done yet” vow? 22 As protests fade outside El Capitan Theatre, one thing’s certain: In this bitterly divided nation, laughter – and liberty – feel more fragile than ever.