Jimmy Kimmel reportedly returned to late-night television Tuesday, using his first monologue since being suspended by ABC to acknowledge an unlikely group of allies: prominent conservatives who defended his right to speak freely despite their deep disagreements with him.
“Maybe most of all, I want to thank the people who don’t support my show and what I believe, but support my right to share those beliefs anyway,” Kimmel told his audience. “People who I never would have imagined, like Ben Shapiro, Clay Travis, Candace Owens, Mitch McConnell, Rand Paul, even my old pal Ted Cruz, who believe it or not said something very beautiful on my behalf.”
The remarks followed a week in which ABC had pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live! off the air after the host mocked conservatives in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, igniting a fierce debate over political speech, censorship, and the role of corporate media.
Kimmel highlighted comments by Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, who spoke forcefully against the idea of silencing political opponents. At first joking, “I hate what Jimmy Kimmel said! I am thrilled that he was fired,” Cruz quickly pivoted, warning that the real danger lies in empowering government to police speech.
“But let me tell you,” Cruz said in the clip Kimmel aired, “if the government gets in the business of saying, ‘We don’t like what you the media have said, we’re going to ban you from the airwaves if you don’t say what we like,’ that will end up bad for conservatives.”
Kimmel, who has built his career ridiculing Republicans, offered a rare concession. “I don’t think I’ve ever said this before, but Ted Cruz is right,” he admitted. “This affects all of us, including him. I mean, think about it. If Ted Cruz can’t speak freely, then he can’t cast spells on the Smurfs.”
The host then acknowledged the gravity of the moment, recognizing that conservatives who often find themselves at odds with Hollywood stood up to defend a principle larger than partisan divides. “Even though I don’t agree with many of those people on most subjects – some of the things they say even make me want to throw up – it takes courage for them to speak out against this administration and they did,” Kimmel said. “And they deserve credit for it.”
His return underscored the irony that it was conservative leaders who most vocally defended his right to remain on air. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, and other figures frequently targeted by Kimmel’s barbs were among those he credited for challenging what they saw as government overreach into broadcast decisions.
For conservatives, the episode was less about Kimmel’s specific words and more about the principle at stake. If a late-night comedian can be suspended for mocking the administration, they argued, the same tool could easily be used to silence their own voices.
In the end, it was Kimmel himself who summed up the paradox: his fiercest critics became his defenders, proving that free speech is not a partisan cause but a foundational American value.
[READ MORE: Trump Backs Away From Talks As Dems Make Big Budget Demands]
