American comedian Jimmy Kimmel stated that it was “never his intention” to downplay the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, during his first late-night show since ABC lifted the suspension.
In his opening monologue, Kimmel also criticized Donald Trump and the chairman of the FCC for making threats he described as “un-American” toward free speech.
Last week, ABC pulled the program from the air due to comments Kimmel made regarding Kirk’s death.
One hour before his show was set to begin, Trump reacted, saying he “cannot believe” ABC made a “180-degree turn,” adding: “I think we’ll test ABC on this.”
The sudden suspension came after the federal broadcasting regulator threatened to revoke ABC’s license, sparking a national debate over freedom of expression.
Although Jimmy Kimmel Live was reinstated by ABC (owned by Disney), some local stations like Nexstar and Sinclair announced they would not air the program.
Disney clarified on Monday that it had suspended the show because “it believed some of the comments were inappropriate and insensitive.”
