Tuesday marked the return of late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel, after his show was suspended last week following threats from President Donald Trump's administration. And Kimmel didn't hold back in his criticism of the administration — or in his defense of the Constitutional right to free speech.

Kimmel began his show with an opening monologue mentioning Disney (which owns ABC) pulling his show off the air following remarks he made about "the MAGA gang" trying to "score political points" off of the fatal shooting of far-right activist Charlie Kirk. He thanked everyone for supporting him while he was off the air, including both his fellow late-night comics and even conservative voices like Ben Shapiro and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) for defending his right to speak regardless of their personal political views. He maintained that his comments were not about Kirk — adding that he abhorred Kirk's murder and empathized for his family — but about attempts to exploit his death for political gain.

"If you like me, you do, and if you don't, you don't ... It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man," Kimmel said through tears. "Nor was it my intention to blame a specific group ... that was really the opposite of the point I was trying to make."

"This show is not important, he continued. "What's important is that we live in a country that allows us to have a show like this."

Kimmel, who has consistently been one of Trump's most prominent critics on late-night TV, also mocked the president's appointed Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman, Brendan Carr, who he called "un-American" for committing what he called "a direct violation of the First Amendment."

"Brendan Carr is the most embarrassing car the Republicans have embraced since this one," Kimmel said, before cutting to an image of a Tesla cybertruck decked out in pro-Trump decals.

Kimmel then pivoted to Trump, playing a clip of the president saying in 2022: "If we don't have free speech, then we just don't have a free country. It's as simple as that." He then showed a clip of Trump on Air Force One telling a reporter that he was glad Kimmel was "fired" because he "had no talent" and "no ratings."

"Well, I do tonight!" Kimmel said to cheers and applause.

"You almost have to feel sorry for him. He tried his best to cancel me, then he forced millions of people to watch the show!" He added. "Well, that backfired bigly! He might have to release the Epstein files to distract from this now!"

Trump issued an ominous threat against ABC ahead of Kimmel's broadcast, saying that he was "told by ABC that his Show was cancelled!"

"Why would they want someone back who does so poorly, who’s not funny, and who puts the Network in jeopardy by playing 99% positive Democrat GARBAGE. He is yet another arm of the DNC and, to the best of my knowledge, that would be a major Illegal Campaign Contribution," Trump wrote in his signature style of oddly placed capital letters. "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 Dollars. This one sounds even more lucrative."

Watch Kimmel's opening monologue below.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

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