Jimmy Kimmel Returns to Air: How Pressure from Trump Backfired.

According to Vox: Our great national nightmare of censorship is over — but only for about three-quarters of ABC stations in the U.S.

Jimmy Kimmel is back on the air Tuesday night after Disney, the parent company of ABC, reversed its decision to suspend his talk show over comments about the MAGA supporters' reaction to the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The suspension took place under pressure from the Trump administration and two TV groups — Nexstar and the conservative-leaning Sinclair, which declared they would not air Kimmel's show.

Whether you like Kimmel or not, the return of his show is a triumph for several reasons. First, it's a victory for free speech. The show was returned, partially due to indirect threats from the leadership of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) during the Trump era, as well as a defiance of what my colleague Zak Bishop described as a 'climate of fear and censorship' following Kirk's murder, which was supported by conservative activists.

Second, it's another (partial) win for liberals in their fight during Trump's second term. Stars, podcasters, influencers, and activists managed to force a large corporation to stand up to Trump and reinstate Kimmel, although his show is returning only to three-quarters of ABC stations.

However, Nexstar and Sinclair continue to boycott Kimmel's show, broadcasting local news instead of Jimmy Kimmel Live! in nearly 25% of local ABC affiliates they control. They show no signs of changing course, and it's currently unclear what mechanisms Kimmel's supporters might have to change that policy.

Kimmel in 'Full Resistance'

The monologue on Tuesday night could become the moment when Kimmel re-establishes his new resistance, or it could be lost amid the next news and scandals related to Trump. It is likely to be one of his highest-rated shows. He sharply criticized Trump, his attempts to punish critics, and FCC Chairman Brandon Carr. Kimmel did not directly apologize — he instead made a passionate call for further resistance against Trump, invited Trump's foe Robert De Niro, and joked about Trump's appearance and the likelihood of Epstein file leaks 'to distract us from this right now… He tried to cancel me, but instead made millions of people watch the show. He largely failed at that.'

“The President of the United States has clearly made it known that he wants me and the hundreds of people who work here to lose our jobs. Our leader celebrates when Americans lose their means of livelihood because he can’t take a joke,” he said, holding back tears during the performance.

Kimmel emphasized that the threat from the state to silence a comedian who is disliked by the president is anti-American. “Perhaps the silver lining of this is that we found at least one thing we can agree on, and maybe even find another one.”

The Problem of Aggressive Affiliates

Although Kimmel returned with a strong start, there are other complexities that hinder the return of his former audience. Sinclair and Nexstar continue to boycott his show, which may lead to conflict with Disney and ABC in the coming days. Sinclair's position is obviously ideological — they demand that Kimmel apologize to Kirk's family and make a ‘substantial’ contribution to Kirk's advocacy group Turning Point.

Kimmel mentioned this during his monologue, pointing out the pressure on affiliates not to air his show and the potential difficulties this might create in the future: “Should the state be able to regulate what podcasts cell service operators and WiFi providers can allow you to download to serve the public interest?”

The studio audience responded loudly with 'No!' Kimmel, and Disney executives hope the rest of the country feels the same way. However, the question remains whether this dispute will be remembered amid another Trump scandal.

Stars, Influencers and Regular People Forced Disney to Act

Throughout the week while Kimmel was off the air, the major efforts to resist Trump and attempts to censor Kimmel did not come from corporations, the stock market, or large political institutions. Instead, it was largely from 'talent' — actors, comedians, podcasters, and others with public platforms.

This came from hundreds of Hollywood stars who signed open letters: one from the ACLU with over 400 signatories, including Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Robert De Niro, and Lin-Manuel Miranda; another with more than 600 comedians, including Rosie O'Donnell, Kathy Griffin, and Chelsea Handler.

Musicians such as Sarah McLachlan, Jewel, and Olivia Rodrigo declined to participate in promotional events for Disney-backed projects, and at least one TV writer stated they would not work with Disney in protest.

Other hosts, like Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, John Oliver, Jimmy Fallon, David Letterman, and Seth Meyers, dedicated their monologues, segments of their shows, or personal performances over the past week to mock Trump and the FCC, as well as support Kimmel.

“This is a blatant assault on free speech,” warned Colbert, whose own show is also under threat in dubious circumstances, during his monologue last week.

The Saga Continues

Of course, Trump spoke out even before Kimmel began his performance, threatening again: “I think we will check ABC on this. Let's see how we manage. The last time I attacked them, they gave me $16 million. This deal sounds even more profitable,” he wrote on social media.

Meanwhile, Disney will continue to allow paying subscribers to watch Kimmel on Hulu, even if the local affiliates of Nexstar and Sinclair maintain their refusal to air his show. And while ABC and Disney management may think they should get some credit for Kimmel's return — he thanked them for their support during his campaign, but 'unfortunately, and I believe it is unfair, this puts them at risk' — the level of their willingness to fight Trump and the FCC remains in question.