Jimmy Kimmel is back on the air. Where did he go? Why is he back?

Jimmy Kimmel (left) and Brendan Carr (right) Image Credits: ABC (Kimmel) and Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty (Carr)

On Monday, it was announced that ABC agreed to put Jimmy Kimmel Live! back on the air following a brief suspension regarding comments Kimmel made in an opening monologue last Thursday about the death of conservative political podcaster Charlie Kirk. The suspension was a controversial decision by ABC following comments perceived as a threat from FCC Chair Brendan Carr, suggesting that he would take action against ABC. How did this situation happen, and what messages does it spread for the late night comics and freedom of speech?

On September 10, conservative commentator and founder of Turning Point USA, Charlie Kirk, was shot to death while speaking at a public debate at Utah Valley University. Tyler Robinson is currently being held as the suspected shooter.

Following his death, cries came from across the aisle condemning political violence. However, more polarizing messages have also taken centerstage. Some are praising Kirk's work for conservatism, and praising his faith life, while others are cheering his death. One Facebook commentor said:

Commenter Name Removed. Taken from a post by the Heritage Foundation Facebook page.

Other social media profiles have come out to criticize Kirk and his mission. Some have reposted Kirk's social media posts, asserting that he should not be remembered with fondness and kindness. Many such posts have cost people their jobs based on their content, citing their disregard for the political violence. Attorney General Pam Bondi has said that she intends to "target" speech against Charlie Kirk and treat it the same as hate speech.

The most controversial subject of these discussions is the late night comedy show host, Jimmy Kimmel, who hosts a titular talk show on ABC that airs weeknights at 8:35 PM (PST). On his Thursday night show last week, he made a statement in his opening monologue that caused some stir:

“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 ... In between the finger-pointing, there was grieving.”

The language asserts that people part of the MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement, the unofficial collective of supporters aligned with President Trump, are using Kirk's death as an opportunity to gain mobility and media attention.

Many were quick to point out Kimmel's comments, suggesting that he was among those who thought that Charlie Kirk's death was casual and something to joke about. The most notable comment came from Brendan Carr, the Chair of the Federal Communications Commission. He spoke on the Benny Johnson Podcast where he suggested that ABC should suspend Jimmy Kimmel Live! or face consequences from the FCC. Nexstar Media Group, the company that oversees Kimmel promptly responded saying that it would discontinue runs of the show. Soon after, ABC said it would be suspending Kimmel, pulling it from the air. President Trump responded to the move, saying:

Social Media post from Donald Trump's Truth Social Account Image Credit: LiveNOW from FOX

The public was swift to react to the move, calling out ABC for perceivably 'bowing down' to administration's intimidation. A large number of subscribers, with the encouragement of more than 400 Hollywood stars, have cancelled their Disney+ subscriptions in protest to it, actually causing the unsubscribe page to experience technical difficulties. There is no direct link confirming suspicions, however, since Kimmel's show was suspended, Disney stock has apparently fallen by 1.9%, resulting in almost a $4 billion loss.

Even allies of President Trump have called out the move. Senator Ted Cruz went on a podcast saying that Carr's message made him appear to be acting like a "mafioso", and saying that the censoring of speech criticizing political figures would bode poorly for conservatives down the line.

“I think it is unbelievably dangerous for government to put itself in the position of saying we’re going to decide what speech we like and what we don’t, and we’re going to threaten to take you off air if we don’t like what you’re saying,” -Ted Cruz

This afternoon, ABC and Jimmy Kimmel released a statement agreeing to continue airing his show going further, retuning Tuesday night. However, it was announced that Sinclair, another distributer of Jimmy Kimmel Live! will not be running following episodes of the series after it returns.

The past week has been one of the most noteworthy events for free speech activism in America. Many have called against Brendan Carr and ABC for what they call censorship of speech just because it is critical of the current administration. Others are pointing out that the FCC technically didn't pull Kimmel off the air, it was an internal decision by ABC. Regardless, many Americans feel it important to remember one of the nation's most important principles, the freedom of speech.

The Wills Magnifier condemns political violence in all its forms. It condemns the violence committed against Charlie Kirk, political activists, and political agents everywhere.