January 1, Disney Revives Jimmy Kimmel Amid FCC Firestorm

Wyatt’s Take

• Disney is bringing “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” back after a brief suspension.
• Kimmel faced backlash over comments about the Charlie Kirk assassination suspect.
• Protesters and FCC scrutiny put pressure on Disney to make a move.

After suspending “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” last week, Disney now says the show will be back on Tuesday. The show was pulled following Kimmel’s controversial words about the suspect accused of killing Charlie Kirk—a move that led to outrage and protests.

Disney shared, “Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country. It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive. We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday.”

Kimmel refused to apologize for saying the accused killer was part of the MAGA crowd. This set off FCC warnings and saw big affiliate owners remove the show from their lineups.

Liberals and conservatives clashed over the comments, while hundreds of people protested outside Disney’s Burbank headquarters and Kimmel’s studio, chanting against the FCC’s response.

The controversy heated up when Kimmel accused conservatives of pinning left-wing motives on Tyler Robinson, the suspected shooter. “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said.

On Wednesday, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr called Kimmel’s comments “some of the sickest conduct” and said there were possible “avenues” the FCC might pursue. Disney’s leaders worried that Kimmel’s next monologue would only fuel the fire and suspended the show.

Kirk was shot at a Utah Valley University event after discussing transgender mass shooters. The accused shooter, Tyler Robinson, had ties to a transgender partner and reportedly admitted to the crime in text messages found by the FBI.

Kimmel’s suspension set off debate about free speech and raised questions about his future on the network.

Read the details here:

Disney announces Jimmy Kimmel Live returning Tuesday after suspension

Wyatt Matters

This story shows how powerful voices and free speech are now under attack from big corporations and government regulators. Middle America values honesty and the right to speak plainly—even when topics are hard.