Jimmy Kimmel made his return to television screens after a brief suspension, a move that did not sit well with Donald Trump.
The show Jimmy Kimmel Live! faced an indefinite pause following the host’s remarks concerning Charlie Kirk’s assassination and the backlash from conservative groups, including Trump himself.
The response to Kimmel’s comeback, only a week after being suspended, was mixed. Some individuals applauded ABC and Disney for their initial decision to suspend the show.
On the other hand, many viewed it as a triumph for free expression.
Trump, who previously celebrated the temporary halt of Kimmel’s show, expressed his dissatisfaction with the comedian’s return on Truth Social on Tuesday night (September 23).
He stated: “I can’t believe ABC Fake News gave Jimmy Kimmel his job back.
“The White House was told by ABC that his Show was cancelled! Something happened between then and now because his audience is GONE, and his ‘talent’ was never there.
“I think we’re going to test ABC out on this. Let’s see how we do. Last time I went after them, they gave me $16 Million Dollars. This one sounds even more lucrative.”
This comment seems to reference a settlement Trump reached with ABC last year, following a defamation lawsuit he had filed.
In his opening monologue, Kimmel did not shy away from poking fun at Trump, hinting that the former president had a hand in his show’s brief suspension.
Kimmel quipped: “You almost have to feel sorry for him, he tried his best to cancel me and instead he forced millions of people to watch the show.
“That backfired bigly, he might need to release the Epstein files to distract us from this now.”
Online, people have been quick to comment on Trump’s threats, with some ridiculing his reaction.
A Twitter user noted: “Trump threatening to sue over late-night jokes proves he still craves the spotlight he claims to hate.”
Another user commented: “Trump suing comedians now? Nothing screams ‘strong leader’ like being triggered by late-night jokes.”
Someone else remarked: “A lot of people were like ‘Jimmy Kimmel being back on PROVES there was no government coercion against free speech’ and then Trump just posted he’s going to sue ABC for putting Jimmy Kimmel back on.”
Another observer added: “After trump’s performance at the UN today, I think he’s officially finished on the world stage. Jimmy Kimmel is the least of his worries.”
We have reached out to ABC for a comment on the matter.