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Jimmy Kimmel mellows down upon return, calls Charlie Kirk's death 'a tragedy', Donald Trump hints at legal action on ABC
Jimmy Kimmel was back on the airwaves on Tuesday night with attacks against the Trump administration, but a softer tone on Charlie Kirk.
Late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel returned to his show after a brief suspension that led to a nationwide controversy and debate across the United States. Kimmel taped his first show since his reinstatement on Tuesday night, and agencies reported, quoting audience members, that not only was his tone conciliatory, but the host also made sure not to mock the death of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.
Jimmy Kimmel addresses Charlie Kirk's death
ABC had suspended Kimmel’s show last Wednesday following criticism of his comments about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The network, owned by Disney, announced Monday that Jimmy Kimmel Live! would return after the network had “thoughtful conversations” with the host. On Tuesday, Kimmel taped his first show since the controversy. AP quoted an audience member, Walter Bates, saying that the host “made sure that everybody knew that he was not ... making fun of the tragedy of Charlie Kirk's murder.”
Kimmel also praised Kirk's wife for showing Christian values in forgiving her husband's killer, according to audience members. Bloomberg spoke to three people in the audience, who confirmed that Kimmel's tone was conciliatory and that he referred to Kirk's death as a tragedy. However, Kimmel still had a crack at the Donald Trump administration.
Trump slams Kimmel's return
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump slammed the return of Jimmy Jimmy Kimmel Live. In a Truth Social post insulting Kimmel and accusing broadcaster ABC of "playing 99% positive Democrat GARBAGE," the President accused Kimmel of being "yet another arm of the DNC," short for Democratic National Committee.
"I think we're going to test ABC out on this. Let's see how we do. Last time I went after them, they gave me $16 million," Trump added, hinting at some legal action against the network.
Kimmel's suspension had received criticism from across party lines. Some consumers punished ABC parent Disney by canceling subscriptions to its streaming services.
