Jimmy Kimmel returns after suspension, blasts FCC over free speech

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After a virtually weeklong suspension from ABC, Jimmy Kimmel returned to the air Tuesday with a 30-minute monologue addressing the controversial feedback that led to his ouster and accusing the Trump administration of hypocrisy on free speech.

The late-night host questioned whether or not it was acceptable for the federal government to control "which podcasts the cellphone firms and Wi-Fi suppliers are allowed to allow you to obtain to verify they serve the general public curiosity."

Kimmel mentioned such an thought would have been unfathomable in the USA – a land that prides itself on its lengthy custom of free speech – even simply 10 years in the past.

He took explicit intention at FCC Chairman Brendan Carr over feedback Carr made final week during an interview on the conservative podcast "The Benny Present," hosted by Benny Johnson.

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<source media="(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/09/672/378/fcc-chair-carr-defends-jimmy-kimmel-show-cancellation.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/09/1344/756/fcc-chair-carr-defends-jimmy-kimmel-show-cancellation.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="378" width="672"><source media="(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/09/931/523/fcc-chair-carr-defends-jimmy-kimmel-show-cancellation.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/09/1862/1046/fcc-chair-carr-defends-jimmy-kimmel-show-cancellation.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="523" width="931"> A composite picture exhibits late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, left, and FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, proper, as associates suspended Kimmel’s present following his feedback on Charlie Kirk. (Getty Photos)

Carr advised Johnson there have been potential "avenues" the FCC might take towards ABC and Disney after Kimmel steered that Trump supporters have been "desperately attempting to characterize this child who murdered Charlie Kirk as something aside from one in all them."

Main native station homeowners Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair Broadcast Group have introduced they may proceed to preempt ABC’s "Kimmy Kimmel Dwell!" in key markets. (Randy Holmes/Disney by way of Getty Photos)

Carr alleged that Kimmel was a part of a "concerted effort" to mislead the general public in regards to the political leanings of Kirk’s suspected murderer, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, who FBI officers and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox mentioned held a "leftist ideology."

Carr mentioned broadcasters, whose licenses are granted by the FCC, have an "obligation to function within the public curiosity."

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"Look, we will do that the straightforward manner or the exhausting manner. These firms can discover methods to vary conduct, to take motion, frankly, on Kimmel, or, you realize, there’s going to be further work for the FCC forward," Carr mentioned.

Kimmel mentioned Carr telling an American firm this is able to quantity to a "direct violation of the First Modification [and] shouldn't be a very clever risk to make in public."

"The FCC has an extended custom of meddling the place they shouldn’t underneath many administrations. However it wasn’t at all times like this," Kimmel mentioned.

FCC Chair Brendan Carr advised The Wall Avenue Journal in a brand new interview he is not going to draw back from penalizing media broadcasters who have interaction in misconduct. (John McDonnell/Getty Photos)

He additionally highlighted a 2022 tweet from Carr himself, posted whereas serving as an FCC commissioner underneath the Biden administration, that learn: "Political satire is likely one of the oldest and most necessary types of free speech. It challenges these in energy whereas utilizing humor to attract extra folks into the dialogue. That’s why folks in influential positions have at all times focused it for censorship."

Kimmel revealed that the commissioner who wrote that tweet was none aside from Carr.

In his monologue, Kimmel clarified that it had not been his intention to "make mild" of Kirk’s assassination earlier this month.

"I don’t assume there’s something humorous about it," Kimmel mentioned, choking up. "Nor was it my intention guilty any particular group for the actions of what … was clearly a deeply disturbed particular person. That was actually the other of the purpose I used to be attempting to make."