Jimmy Kimmel returned to Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Wednesday night, and he wasted no time diving back into the controversy that has surrounded him since his suspension from ABC. The late-night host once again addressed the fallout head-on, mixing humor with a sharper edge that suggested the story is far from over. But while the laughs were there, Kimmel’s latest remarks carried an unsettling weight, hinting that the standoff between ABC and the government could escalate.
Kimmel made a triumphant return to late-night on Tuesday, delivering a measured monologue that didn't apologize for his comments and stood up for free speech. President Donald Trump responded almost immediately, complaining about ABC reinstating the host and calling Kimmel talentless with no ratings.
In his monologue, Kimmel countered the major points in Trump's social media post. The late-night comedian took special note of Trump appearing to threaten legal action against ABC for putting Kimmel back on the air.
“Only Donald Trump would try to prove he wasn’t threatening ABC by threatening ABC," Kimmel said. "And you almost have to feel sorry for the people who work for him, who try to clean up the messes. They’ve been bending over backwards,” he added.
“Next, he’ll try to sue us," Kimmel predicted. Given how frequently the president files lawsuits, it's not out of the realm of possibility. But it would mark another dark turn in what has already become a defining saga of Trump's presidency. The fact it involves a late-night TV host makes it all the more incomprehensible.
But don't expect Kimmel to back down or change his approach just because of the president's threats. The comedian mocked Trump as a bully and almost welcomed a lawsuit from the White House. “For those who think I go too hard Donald Trump, to the point where there are still a lot of people who think I should be pulled off the air for making Donald Trump," Kimmel said. "So, I want to explain, I talk about Trump more than anything because he’s a bully.”
The idea that a president might sue a television network over a comedian’s monologue should send continue the conversation about free expression. Late-night shows have long been a space where for political satire and social commentary, so the notion of legal action being used as a weapon against a broadcaster for airing those jokes raises troubling questions. Perhaps that's why Kimmel has found unlikely allies on his side of the argument, such as Senator Ted Cruz, Ben Shapiro, and Joe Rogan.
For late-night TV, the stakes would be enormous. A lawsuit would signal that putting controversial figures on air could open the door to costly legal battles. That could make networks think twice before greenlighting monologues, sketches, or any commentary that might upset those in power. ABC seems to be backing Kimmel at the moment, but we've seen how quickly that can change.