Jimmy Kimmel fought back tears as he tried to explain his statement on Charlie Kirk in his first show back on ABC since he was suspended over his comments about the late TPUSA founder.

‘It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man,’ he said, while fighting back tears. ‘I don’t think there’s anything funny about it.’

He referenced his post to Instagram sending love to Kirk’s family and said he still does.

Kimmel then tried to explain what he said about Kirk but did not directly apologize.

He thanked his fellow talk show hosts, fans and even conservatives who defended him.

Kimmel welcomed first guests back Glenn Powell – who said he was ‘honored’ and ‘glad’ the host was back – and singer Sarah McLachlan.

At the end of the show, he joked: ‘I think we’ll be back tomorrow night, see you then.’

However, Sinclair and Nexstar stations, which make up about a third of ABC’s affiliates, will not be showing the program.

Kimmel, 57, was booted off the air last week over his comments about Charlie Kirk‘s assassination.

The host said that ‘the MAGA gang’ was attempting to portray the suspect in Kirk’s killing ‘as anything other than one of them.’

ABC’s parent company, Disney, announced that it had suspended the show to ‘avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotionally charged moment for the country.’

But, after ‘having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy,’ the company announced Jimmy Kimmel Live! would return to its airwaves on Tuesday.

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Thanks for following our live coverage of Jimmy Kimmel’s comeback show after the late night host was suspended by ABC over remarks made about Charlie Kirk.

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Jimmy Kimmel turns tables on Trump for silencing of comedians
The Jimmy Kimmel Live! host delivered a searing 20-minute monologue that paid tribute to his supporters from the left and right while targeting Trump with a dressing down.

Kimmel fights back tears as he said he didn’t intend ‘to make light of the murder of a young man’

‘It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man,’ he said, fighting back tears. ‘I don’t think there’s anything funny about it.’

He referenced his post to Instagram sending love to Kirk’s family and said he still does.

Kimmel then tried to explain what he said about the TPUSA founder but did not directly apologize.

He said it was not ‘my intention to blame any specific group for the actions what – it was obviously a deeply disturbed individual,’ he said.

‘That was really in the opposite of the point I was trying to make, but I understand that to some that 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’d have felt the same way.’

11:38

Kimmel ends first show back with one last joke referencing controversy

Jimmy Kimmel finished off his first show returning to the airwaves with a last reference to the controversy that embroiled him this week.

After thanking his guests, Kimmel cracked: ‘I think we’ll be back tomorrow night, see you then.’

Sarah McLachlan performed a song on Kimmel’s stage but did not speak, nor did she reference her protest in solidarity with Kimmel this past weekend.

11:15

Glenn Powell says he’s ‘honored’ to be with Kimmel on comeback

Kimmel’s first guest upon his comeback said he was ‘honored’ and ‘glad you’re back’ when he joined the host onstage.

Glen Powell referenced that he used to be allowed to come down to the studio where the show is shot and was allowed to take snacks.

Kimmel jokingly asked: ‘So could I get you to say that, in a way, I saved you’re life?’

11:05

Kimmel criticizes Trump as being ‘unable to take a joke’

Jimmy Kimmel took on Donald Trump directly by branding him a humorless enemy of free speech during his monologue.

‘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,’ Kimmel said.

‘He was 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 and the hundreds of Americans who work for their shows who don’t make millions of dollars,’ he added.

‘And I hope that if that happens, or if there’s even any hint of that happening, you will be 10 times as loud as you were this week.’

11:03

Robert De Niro joins Kimmel’s comeback show to poke fun at FCC

A-list actor and Trump nemesis Robert De Niro joined Jimmy Kimmel to take a jab at FCC Chairman Brendan Carr.

‘It’s just me, the chairman of the FCC, gently suggesting that you shut the f*** up,’ De Niro told Kimmel.

The longtime mafia movie star made several references to mob violence and suggested Kimmel’s ‘free speech’ might cost him his limbs.

The sketch ended with De Niro taking a fake phone call from the president, whom he addressed: ‘Hi, handsome!’

10:57

Jimmy Kimmel cites Erika Kirk’s forgiveness of shooter as part of ‘teachings of Jesus’

Jimmy Kimmel ended his monologue with praise Erika Kirk for forgiving shooter Tyler Robinson at her husband Charlie’s funeral on Sunday.

‘She forgave him. That is an example we should follow,’ he said to applause.

‘If you believe in the teachings of Jesus, as I do, that’s it. A selfless act of grace, forgiveness from a grieving widow. It touched me deeply, I hope it touches many,’ he said, amid more tears.

‘And if there’s anything we can take from this tragedy to carry forward, it can be that and not this,’ he added, referencing the controversy.

10:48

Kimmel references Epstein files in jokes about Trump

Jimmy Kimmel played a lengthy clip of Donald Trump saying he doesn’t have talent or ratings.

‘Well, I do tonight,’ Kimmel said of his ratings.

Kimmel then joked that Donald Trump ‘might have to release the Epstein files to distract from this. This backfired bigly!’

10:46

Kimmel calls FCC Chairman Brendan Carr ‘un-American’ for targeting him

Kimmel accused the FCC of being ‘not legal, not American, that is un-American’ for targeting him.

He then asked: ‘Should the government be allowed to regulate which podcasts you download?’

He then said of Brendan Carr, the chairman of the FCC… ‘in addition to being a direct violation of the first amendment, is not a particularly intelligent threat.’

‘Brendan Carr is the most embarrassing car Republicans have embraced since this one,’ Kimmel cracked, before showing a photo of a Trump-branded Tesla.

10:41

Kimmel thanks Republicans who supported his right to free speech

The ABC host singled out everyone from Candace Owens to Clay Travis to Ted Cruz for defending his right to free speech.

‘I don’t think I’ve ever said this before, but Ted Cruz is right. If he can’t speak freely, he can’t cast on the Smurfs!’

He added that everyone ‘deserved credit’ for saying the government ‘cannot be allowed to control what you can and cannot say on television.’

10:40

Jimmy Kimmel thanks fellow late night talk show hosts

Jimmy Kimmel thanked late night hosts from around the world to touch base with him, including one in Germany who offered him a job.

‘Can you imagine this country has become so authoritarian, the Germans are like, come here?’

He thanked the likes of Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert to David Letterman and Jay Leno, a longtime rival of Kimmel.