Kimmel Breaks Silence Amid Suspension Drama

Jimmy Kimmel is back on the air—but not without controversy.

The ABC late-night host, long criticized for his left-wing attacks on conservatives, returned Tuesday night after a suspension that shook both Hollywood and Washington. Hours before his comeback, Kimmel posted a photo with television legend Norman Lear, writing simply: “Missing this guy today.”

But critics say the post was a distraction from the real story: Kimmel’s suspension after he falsely linked the alleged assassin of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk to the MAGA movement. The reckless remark led to fury from conservatives, warnings from the Federal Communications Commission, and major affiliates Sinclair and Nexstar dropping his show entirely.

Kimmel’s program was yanked last week after his “joke” about Kirk’s accused shooter triggered a firestorm.

“Suggesting—without evidence—that a Trump supporter was behind a political killing was beyond the pale,” said Clay Travis, founder of OutKick. “It wasn’t comedy. It was slander.”

The Walt Disney Company, which owns ABC, scrambled for days before announcing Kimmel would return after what it called “thoughtful conversations.” But even as Disney signaled forgiveness, two of the country’s biggest affiliate groups refused to carry the show. For millions of viewers in red states, Kimmel remains off the air.

In choosing Lear as his symbol, Kimmel aligned himself with another cultural figure who tangled with Republicans. Lear, who died in 2023 at 101, created politically charged sitcoms such as All in the Family and The Jeffersons.

Lear famously ended up on President Richard Nixon’s “enemies list,” which was exposed during the Watergate hearings. In a 2016 interview, Lear compared then-candidate Donald Trump to Nixon—an insult Trump supporters haven’t forgotten.

“Norman Lear spent his life mocking traditional American values,” said conservative media critic Brent Bozell. “For Kimmel to hold him up as a role model tells you everything about where he’s coming from.”

Kimmel has spent years targeting Trump, often using his late-night platform to ridicule the president and raise money for Democrats. In 2020, he mocked Trump’s COVID policies; in 2024, he accused Trump supporters of “destroying democracy.”

But with Trump back in the White House in 2025, the balance of power has shifted. “Kimmel has made a career out of bashing conservatives,” said Republican strategist Matt Schlapp. “Now he’s finding out there are consequences.”

The controversy comes as late-night television struggles for relevance. With streaming platforms, podcasts, and independent media taking over, traditional hosts like Kimmel are losing ground.

“Kimmel isn’t Carson. He isn’t Letterman. He’s a partisan activist dressed up as a comedian,” Clay Travis said. “Viewers see it, and they’re tuning out.”

For now, Jimmy Kimmel is back—but his reach is shrinking, his critics are louder than ever, and his attempts to distract with Norman Lear tributes aren’t fooling anyone.