After a contentious week for free speech and Hollywood, Jimmy Kimmel Live! returned to the air last night—well, at least in many regions across the United States.
ABC affiliate stations owned by Sinclair and Nexstar Media Group refused to air the show, and President Trump has railed against the late-night comedian’s return.
But this hasn’t stopped ABC’s owner Disney—which received much criticism for pulling Jimmy Kimmel from the air last week—from posting Kimmel’s returning opening monologue for all to see. Here’s what you need to know and how you can watch Kimmel’s opening monologue in full.
Dozens of ABC stations chose not to air Kimmel
Despite Jimmy Kimmel returning to the public airwaves last night, Americans who live in regions whose local ABC affiliates are owned by Nexstar Media Group or Sinclair didn’t get the chance to watch the show’s return live TV broadcast.
That’s because Sinclair and Nexstar Media Group, which combined own around 70 ABC stations, refused to air the show.
In a statement, Sinclair announced ahead of time that it wouldn’t be airing the return last night, while noting that “Discussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show’s potential return.”
Nexstar issued its own statement ahead of Kimmel’s return, stating that it stands by its decision to preempt the show “pending assurance that all parties are committed to fostering an environment of respectful, constructive dialogue in the markets we serve.”
The decision by Sinclair and Nexstar not to run Kimmel’s return meant that millions of Americans never had the chance to watch the late-night show host’s return to the small screen live.
Yet while this may have disheartened many Americans who live in those ABC affiliate areas, at least one American was likely happy with Sinclair and Nexstar’s decision: the president.
Trump threatens ABC as Kimmel returns
Last night, President Trump, as could be expected, let his thoughts be known about Disney and ABC choosing to let Kimmel back on the air.
“I can’t believe ABC Fake News gave Jimmy Kimmel his job back,” the president posted on his Truth Social social media network. “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.”
Trump continued: “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.”
But the president didn’t stop there. He went on to claim that Kimmel “is yet another arm of the DNC and, to the best of my knowledge, that would be a major Illegal Campaign Contribution.”
“I think we’re going to test ABC out on this,” the president continued. “Let’s see how we do. Last time I went after them, they gave me $16 Million Dollars. This one sounds even more lucrative. A true bunch of losers! Let Jimmy Kimmel rot in his bad Ratings.”
How to watch Jimmy Kimmel’s return opening monologue
The president’s displeasure hasn’t stopped ABC or Disney from sharing Kimmel’s return far and wide.
The companies have now posted the opening monologue from last night’s show on the official Jimmy Kimmel Live! YouTube channel, allowing anyone who could not watch the show last night to watch the host’s commentary.
In the clip, Kimmel addresses issues ranging from the death of Charlie Kirk to free speech in America.
As of early Wednesday, the clip had almost 7 million views and more than 51,000 comments, including from many YouTube users who said the show had been blocked by their local TV station. Many others claimed to be watching the clip from overseas.
You can watch Kimmel’s opening monologue here. The clip is also embedded directly below.
