Jimmy Kimmel speaks up in first show since suspension: "I don't think there's anything funny about it."

Jimmy Kimmel has spoken out about "anti-American" threats to free speech on the first episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! after it was suspended following threats from US government officials over his commentary.

In a tearful opening monologue, Kimmel thanked those who stood up for him and said, "It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man, I don't think there's anything funny about it."

Kimmel said he could see why his comments "felt either ill-timed or unclear or maybe both," but described the decision to suspend the show as "anti-American" and "so dangerous."

"This show is not important," said Kimmel, adding, "What is important is that we get to live in a country that allows us to have a show like this."

Watch the full opening monologue from the return episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! below:

During his September 15 show, Kimmel took aim at the Trump administration's reactions to the death of Charlie Kirk, saying Trump's allies are "doing everything they can to score political points from it."

The next day, Trump-nominated FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said Kimmel's comment was "some of the sickest conduct possible" and threatened regulatory action against ABC and its parent company Disney. Carr said Disney "can do this the easy way or the hard way...to take action on Kimmel."

Shortly after Carr's comments, ABC announced all broadcasts of the show would be "indefinitely" halted.

Disney announced the show would return to air earlier this week following widespread public backlash. However,  Sinclair and NexStar — two major network operators which control about 20% of all ABC affiliate channels combined — have refused to air the show.

US President Donald Trump, who celebrated the initial suspension as "great news for America," denounced the show's reinstatement on social media.

"Why would they want someone back who does so poorly, who's not funny and who puts the Network in jeopardy by playing 99% positive Democrat GARBAGE," said Trump on his social media platform Truth Social.

"I think we're going to test ABC out on this."

Kimmel took a jab at Trump during his Tuesday monologue, saying, "He did his best to cancel me. Instead, he forced millions of people to watch the show."

He also acknowledged many major markets would not see his show due to Sinclair and NexStar's refusals to air it, with regions including Washington, D.C., New Orleans, Nashville and St. Louis, the latter of which he said is where his wife's family lives.

"Sorry Aunt Sharon, sorry Aunt Maureen, you’ll have to go to YouTube,” Kimmel said.

At the time of writing, the monologue has over 11 million views on YouTube, making it his most-watched video ever.

Many public figures praised Kimmel's return, including fellow late-night host Stephen Colbert who joked about the return during his opening monologue in the same time slot.

"I'm so grateful to have this show and I'm going to say thanks to everybody in here and to everybody watching from home, who I think might just be my wife Evie, because everybody else is probably watching ABC because tonight Jimmy Kimmel returned to the airwaves," Colbert said.

"I'm glad Kimmel's back. He is a wonderful fellow. To know him well is to admire him immensely, even if he takes the whole summer off."

Zoolander actor Ben Stiller praised the show in a post on X, writing, "What a brilliant monologue from Jimmy Kimmel."

Stiller was among the over 400 celebrities who signed an open letter by the American Civil Liberties Union calling the suspension "unconstitutional" and demanding the show be reinstated. Other signatories included Ruth Negga, Sharon Horgan, Olivia Rodrigo, Selena Gomez, Barbra Streisand, Pedro Pascal, Meryl Streep and Robert De Niro.

Jimmy Kimmel Live! is available to watch on YouTube as well as on streaming services Hulu and Disney+.