Jimmy Kimmel made his return to the late-night show on Tuesday, following a brief suspension triggered by his erroneous statement about the assassin of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, which he claimed was connected to the “Magazine Gang.”
At the start of the show, Kimmel expressed his regret, emphasizing he never intended to trivialize the murder of Kirk.
“I don’t grasp how I could ever downplay the murder of a young man. It’s not interesting to me. On the day he was killed, I shared a message expressing condolences to his family, and I still stand by that,” Kimmel shared.
He referenced a previous comment he made just after Kirk’s assassination, labeling it “horrifying and monstrous.”
Last week, the ABC affiliate Nexstar announced it would be removing Kimmel’s show from their stations after he implied a link between Kirk’s assassin and leftist ideologies. They described his remarks as “aggressive and insensitive during a critical time in national political discourse,” stating the need for a shift towards respectful dialogue.
Following ABC’s announcement, Sinclair Vice Chairman Jason Smith condemned Kimmel’s remarks as “deeply insensitive.”
On Monday, Disney and ABC decided to bring Kimmel back to his show, responding to pressures from protests and boycotts after the suspension.
After apologizing, Kimmel reverted to his usual banter, poking fun at Trump, adding humor with, “Even Germans ‘come here!'”
“I’m not sure if I was more overwhelmed than the Tylenol CEO or vice versa. It’s been a lot to take in over the last few days, for sure. I’ve received feedback from so many people globally,” Kimmel noted.
Kimmel also criticized ABC, expressing discontent with how the situation was handled.
“It’s not right. It’s un-American,” he remarked regarding ABC’s actions.
In a poignant moment, Kimmel acknowledged Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erica, and commended her for publicly showing grace towards her husband’s murderer.
“That’s a model we should aspire to,” he reflected. “If you embrace Jesus’ teachings, this instance speaks volumes. The grace and forgiveness shown by the grieving widow truly moved me.”
