Los Angeles, Sept 25 (HS): Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel returned to U.S. television on Tuesday after a week-long suspension, drawing his largest audience in a decade amid a heated free speech clash involving the White House.
Disney, the parent company of ABC, confirmed that more than six million viewers tuned in to Jimmy Kimmel Live, far exceeding its season average of 1.42 million. On social media, Kimmel’s fiery monologue attacking censorship amassed more than 26 million views. It was the show’s best performance in ten years.
Kimmel had been temporarily forced off the air after officials in President Donald Trump’s administration allegedly threatened to revoke broadcast licenses, reportedly over remarks the comedian delivered following the assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.
The suspension triggered widespread backlash, including from some of Trump’s Republican allies, who accused the government of attempting to muzzle political satire.Returning to the airwaves, Kimmel launched into a scathing critique of Trump’s efforts to silence him.
“A government threat to silence a comedian the president doesn’t like is anti-American,” he told his audience. He added that Trump personally wanted him and his staff “fired” for making jokes at his expense.
The ratings surge came despite an ongoing boycott by several regional affiliates, which kept the program off nearly a quarter of American households. Even so, the comeback dwarfed the show’s recent averages, with Kimmel seizing the opportunity to mock his critics.
“He tried his best to cancel me. Instead, he forced millions of people to watch the show. That backfired bigly,” he quipped, to loud applause.
Trump had previously celebrated Kimmel’s removal, calling it “great news for America” and dismissing the host as having “no talent” and “no ratings.” Kimmel fired back on Tuesday, noting with relish: “Well, I do tonight.”
The clash underlined Trump’s longstanding battles with late-night comedy, a genre he frequently accuses of bias. For Kimmel, however, it became a career-defining moment—transforming political censorship into record-breaking viewership.
Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
