Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Comedian Jimmy Kimmel on Wednesday said he hopes the outrage over his late-night show’s suspension following pressure from the Trump administration had drawn a “bold red line” for free speech. Kimmel was briefly taken off the airwaves last month over remarks the host made in the wake of the murder of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, prompting a public outcry. Disney-owned ABC brought back Kimmel’s show after a week-long hiatus.
“I hope that we drew a really, really bold red line as Americans about what we will and will not accept,” said Kimmel. “I really hope that that’s what comes out of all this.” President Donald Trump, who has long chafed at the mockery he receives from Kimmel and his fellow late night talk show hosts, has repeatedly demanded they be taken off air, and has called other criticism of him “illegal.” Kimmel’s removal from the airwaves came shortly after Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr appeared to threaten the licenses of stations broadcasting the show unless they did so.
Kimmel said his comments about Kirk’s alleged killer had been “intentionally and, I think, maliciously mischaracterized” by Republicans. But he said he would “love to have Trump on the show” in future. “I wouldn’t necessarily be interested in (having) Brendan Carr on the show,” he deadpanned.
Reflecting on the boycotts by companies owning dozens of ABC affiliate stations, Kimmel on Wednesday admitted he initially thought his show was permanently finished. “The idea that I would not have whatever it was, 40 affiliates…I was like, ‘Well, that’s it,'” he told the Bloomberg Screentime conference in Los Angeles. “I said to my wife, ‘that’s it. It’s over,'” he said. Kimmel’s return proved a huge ratings hit, even as the blackout meant a quarter of the country could not watch.
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