Celebrities and politicians celebrated Kimmel’s return to the air — with a few detractors

• Comedians, actors, and politicians welcomed Jimmy Kimmel warmly back onstage on Tuesday.
• Gavin Newsom, Don Lemon, and Stephen King were among those who posted about Kimmel’s heartfelt monologue.
• In his first episode back, Kimmel slammed Brendan Carr and Trump for clamping down on free speech.

Big names in Hollywood, media, and politics welcomed Jimmy Kimmel back onstage Tuesday night.

The host of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” delivered an emotional monologue on his first night back on air after ABC suspended his show last week over comments he made about the shooting of Charlie Kirk.

“I also want to thank all of you. You supported our show, cared enough to do something about it, to make your voices heard so that mine could be heard. I’ll never forget it,” Kimmel said to loud applause.

In his monologue, he slammed FCC Chair Brendan Carr and President Donald Trump for clamping down on free speech, and teared up while saying he never intended to make light of Kirk’s shooting.

His return was met with enthusiasm from celebrities and politicians, and sourness from some.

Donald Trump

About an hour before Kimmel’s show went live, Trump wrote in a Truth Social post, “I can’t believe ABC Fake News gave Jimmy Kimmel his job back.”

“The White House was told by ABC that his Show was cancelled!” he wrote. “Something happened between then and now because his audience is GONE, and his ‘talent’ was never there.”

He then floated the idea of launching a lawsuit against ABC for its decision to run the show again.

Ben Stiller

Ben Stiller’s reaction to Kimmel’s monologue was short and sweet.

“What a brilliant monologue from Jimmy Kimmel,” the Zoolander actor wrote in an X post on Tuesday night.

On September 17, shortly after Kimmel’s suspension announcement, Stiller wrote on X, “This isn’t right.”

Don Lemon

TV journalist Don Lemon posted a video on Threads shortly after the monologue, commending Kimmel on doing a “fantastic” job and hitting the “right tone.”

“All those people who were cheering for him to be fired or suspended, shame on you,” he said. “And all the folks like Donald Trump, Brendan Carr, Nexstar, Sinclair, you guys should be ashamed of yourselves, you don’t believe in the First Amendment, you don’t believe in freedom of speech, at all.”

Lemon added, “Behavior like that is not only unpatriotic, it is unchristianlike, ungodlike, so much for calling yourself Christian and a patriot, when you don’t even believe in the Constitution.”

Stephen King

Stephen King made a post on Bluesky.

“I’m glad Jimmy Kimmel is back,” the author, known for his horror novels, wrote.

Turning Point spokesperson Andrew Kolvet

Andrew Kolvet, spokesman for Turning Point USA, the conservative organization founded by Charlie Kirk, said Kimmel’s comments on Kirk were “not good enough.”

Kolvet said Kimmel should have apologized to the Kirk family “for lying.”

After Disney announced the reversal of its decision to pull the show, Kolvet wrote on X that it was a mistake, and he hoped broadcasters Nexstar and Sinclair would not make the same choice.

Stephen Colbert

Stephen Colbert said in a Tuesday episode of “The Late Show” that he was glad Kimmel was back.

“I’m going to say thanks to everybody in here and to everybody watching from home, who I think might just be my wife, Evie, because everybody else is probably watching ABC,” he said.

“Because tonight, Jimmy Kimmel returned to the airwaves,” he added, to loud cheers from the audience.

“To know him well is to admire him immensely, even if he takes the whole summer off,” he said.

After Disney announced that the show would run again, Colbert said he was once again the “only martyr in late night,” referencing how CBS is set to stop airing his show from May 2026.

Amy Klobuchar

Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota welcomed Kimmel back via a post on Bluesky.

She posted two quotes from Kimmel’s monologue. Kimmel said Donald Trump accused him of having no talent or ratings, adding, “I do tonight.”

“Welcome back Jimmy Kimmel!” Klobuchar wrote in the post on Tuesday night.

Gavin Newsom

In an X post, California Gov. Gavin Newsom quoted Kimmel’s monologue, in which he said, “This show is not important. What is important is that we get to live in a country that allows us to have a show like this.”

Newsom added the word “exactly” after Kimmel’s quote.

He had previously expressed support for Kimmel. After Disney announced its decision had been reversed, he wrote on X, “Thank you to everyone but @BrendanCarrFCC. This is a win for free speech everywhere.”

Read the original article on Business Insider

The post Celebrities and politicians celebrated Kimmel’s return to the air — with a few detractors appeared first on Business Insider.