“It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man,” began talk show host Jimmy Kimmel as he returned to the airwaves after almost a week-long suspension over comments he made about the death of Charlie Kirk. Visibly moved, Kimmel broke down into tears as he delivered his monologue and spoke about how he reached out to Kirk’s family on social media.

Jimmy Kimmel had been suspended by his network, ABC, following criticism of his comments about the assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk. The suspension led to nationwide controversy and debate, forcing Disney, which owns ABC, to relent and allow Kimmel and his show – Jimmy Kimmel Live – return to the airwaves. ABC announced Monday that Jimmy Kimmel Live! would return after the network had “thoughtful conversations” with the host.

Jimmy Kimmel’s opening monologue

On Tuesday, the first episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live in a week aired. A teary-eyed Jimmy Kimmel said, “I don’t think there’s anything funny about it. I posted a message on Instagram on the day he was killed, sending love to his family and asking for compassion. I meant it and I still do.”

Kimmel also clarified that he was not trying to imply that Kirk’s shooter, Tyler Robinson, had ties with MAGA, the supporters of US President Donald Trump. “It was obviously a deeply disturbed individual. That was really the opposite of the point I was trying to make. But I understand that to some, it felt either ill-timed or unclear.” The host said he understood why some people were upset at him, but stopped short of issuing an outright apology.

Donald Trump livid at Kimmel’s return

While fans have praised Kimmel’s return, and his fellow talk show hosts have called it a victory of free speech, US President Donald Trump has slammed ABC for the reinstatement. In a post on Truth Social, Trump accused broadcaster ABC of “playing 99% positive Democrat GARBAGE,” and said Kimmel was “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.