Jimmy Kimmel Returned With More Deflection Than Accountability | Bobby Burack
Jimmy Kimmel chose deflection Tuesday night, marking his first episode back after a four-day suspension from ABC.
An emotional Kimmel opened with a nearly 30-minute monologue that included thanks to fans, fellow late-night comedians, and even conservatives who expressed support. "Even my old pal Ted Cruz — who, believe it or not, said something very beautiful on my behalf," Kimmel remarked.
After roughly five minutes, Kimmel finally referenced Charlie Kirk.
"I do want to make something clear because it’s important to me as a human: it was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man. I don’t think there’s anything funny about it. I posted a message on Instagram the day he was killed, sending love to his family and asking for compassion, and I meant it and I still do. Nor was it my intention to blame any specific group for the actions of what was obviously a deeply disturbed individual."
But "making light" of Kirk’s assassination was never the issue. That is why the claim that ABC suspended Kimmel over a "joke" never held up.
The backlash came from his assertion that the "MAGA gang" was responsible for the murder, a baseless conspiracy that had already been debunked before he made it on September 15. According to Deadline, Kimmel informed ABC the following day that he would not correct the falsehood. He still has not. Moreover, blaming a "specific group" was, in fact, the central point of that monologue.
We aren't off to a great start, are we?
LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 05: Jimmy Kimmel is seen on June 05, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by PG/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
Just as frequently as he mentioned Kirk, Kimmel invoked his CBS counterpart, Stephen Colbert. On at least three occasions, Kimmel accused Donald Trump of forcing Colbert off the air for comedic criticism of the president:
"I especially want to [thank] my fellow late-night talk show host, my friend Stephen Colbert, who’s found himself in this predicament," Kimmel claimed.
"Our freedom to speak is what they admire most about this country, and that’s something I’m embarrassed to say I took for granted until they pulled my friend Stephen off the air," he said later.
"The President of the United States made it very clear he wants to see me and the hundreds of people who work here fired from our jobs. Our leader celebrates Americans losing their livelihoods because he can’t take a joke. He was somehow able to squeeze Colbert out of CBS. Then he turned his sights on me, and now he’s openly rooting for NBC to fire Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers," Kimmel concluded.
As with many of Kimmel’s statements over the past week, these claims are demonstrably false. Colbert remains on air, spending the past week denouncing Trump as a fascist in defense of Kimmel. CBS simply announced it would not renew The Late Show after May 2026.
More importantly, there is no evidence that Trump or his FCC influenced CBS’s decision. Multiple outlets have reported that Colbert’s program was losing approximately $40 million annually. Does a corporation not have the right to end such an unsustainable project? Does Skydance, which is acquiring control of CBS, not have the right to signal disinterest in continuing to finance a divisive program damaging the CBS brand?
If Kimmel can prove Trump directly pressured CBS, we will be the first to criticize the administration. But at present, this appears to be another baseless conspiracy presented as fact – precisely the pattern that led to Kimmel’s suspension last week.
To Kimmel’s credit, he did highlight Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika, as a woman of grace and courage:
"There was a moment over the weekend, a very beautiful moment. On Sunday, Erika Kirk forgave the man who shot her husband. She forgave him. That is an example we should follow. If you believe in the teachings of Jesus, as I do, there it was."
"That’s it. A selfless act of grace, forgiveness from a grieving widow. It touched me deeply, and I hope it touches many. And if there’s anything we should take from this tragedy to carry forward, I hope it can be that and not this."
The Bottom Line
Free speech is the cornerstone of democracy. There is a reason it was enshrined first in the Bill of Rights. Protecting it remains central to OutKick’s mission.
We categorically oppose government interference in media of any kind. We criticized the Biden administration for pressuring tech companies to suppress speech on its behalf. We defended the rights of Ivy League students to march in support of Hamas after its October 7, 2023, terrorist attack.
The solution to hateful speech is more speech. Bad actors will eventually expose themselves if you let them. So,let them.
We do not support the White House or the FCC interfering in comedy, journalism, or social media. That said, Kimmel’s suspension was not about "free speech" or "cancel culture," as his defenders claim.
ABC did not punish him for making a joke or offering a political opinion. It suspended him for falsely attributing a political affiliation to an assassin and refusing to retract it.
Free speech is not the same as freedom from accountability. There is a critical difference between the government jailing someone for dissent and a broadcaster removing a host for spreading debunked, inflammatory claims.
Jimmy Kimmel returns. Credit: ABC/Randy Holmes
And Kimmel was never "canceled."
Unlike many conservatives who lost careers over unpopular opinions, old tweets, or ill-timed jokes, Kimmel missed four days of work, never lost pay, and returned positioned as a martyr in the eyes of Hollywood. Ask Roseanne Barr what real cancellation looks like.
Finally, the Kimmel saga underscores much of what we already know. Hollywood champions free speech selectively, only when it shields its own. Legacy media reserved more sympathy for Kimmel than for Charlie Kirk, the murder victim. The right, when tested, largely avoided confrontation. And today’s crop of late-night hosts remains irrelevant, predictable, and ineffective— except when drawing controversy that briefly reminds viewers they still exist.
Also, did you notice that Jimmy Kimmel never once cited the testimony from the Utah governor that Kirk's suspected assassin developed a "leftist ideology" after appearing to become increasingly radicalized or that he admitted in texts to his trans lover that he killed him to stop the "hate"?
Must have been an honest oversight on an emotional night.