ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel returned to his show Tuesday evening a week after the Disney-owned network suspended him for remarks he made about conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s assassin.
Kimmel, at one point during his opening monologue, delivered a teary-eyed response to Erika Kirk, Charlie’s widow, though the host never actually apologized for the remark that got him thrown off the air.
“There was a moment over the weekend, a very beautiful moment. I don’t know if you saw this. On Sunday, Erika Kirk forgave the man who shot her husband. She forgave him. That is an example we should follow,” Kimmel told the audience.
“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,” Kimmel added.
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Disney suspended Kimmel’s show last Wednesday after he said conservative commentators were “desperately” trying to portray Charlie Kirk’s alleged killer as not being “MAGA.”
“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 on Sept. 15.
Sinclair Broadcast Group and Nexstar Media Group said after the episode aired that they would pull the program from dozens of ABC affiliates, citing Kimmel’s comments as “ill-timed and insensitive.”
Both media groups announced on Monday they would continue to pre-empt Kimmel’s show with other programming. Together, both groups account for about 25 percent of ABC affiliates.
FCC Chair Brendan Carr issued a veiled warning about the program in the wake of backlash over Kimmel’s remarks. Ahead of the host’s return, President Donald Trump criticized both Kimmel and ABC for reinstating the show after what he said was its “cancellation.”
Earlier in his opening, Kimmel addressed his remarks but didn’t actually apologize for them.
“I’ve been hearing a lot about what I need to say and do tonight, and the truth is, I don’t think what I have to say is going to make much of a difference,” he said. “If you like me, you like me. If you don’t, you don’t. I have no illusions about changing anyone’s mind. But I want to make something clear, because it’s important to me as a human, and that is – you understand that it was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man.”
“Nor was it my intention to blame any specific group for the actions,” he continued. “It was a deeply disturbed individual. That was really the opposite of the point I was trying to make, but I understand that, to some, it felt either ill-timed or unclear or maybe both, and for those who think I did point a finger, I get why you’re upset. If the situation was reversed, there’s a good chance I would have felt the same way.”
He added: “I have many friends and family members on the other side who I love and remain close to, even though we don’t agree on politics at all. I don’t think the murderer who shot Charlie Kirk represents anyone. This was a sick person who believed violence was a solution, and it isn’t ever.”
He then addressed his mixed thoughts about ABC pulling him off the air.
“Every night, they defended my right to poke fun at our leaders and to advocate for subjects that I think are important by allowing me to use their platform, and I’m very grateful for that. With that said, I was not happy when they pulled me off the air on Wednesday,” Kimmel said.