‘Jimmy Kimmel live! came roaring back after a brief suspension and didn’t waste time taking shots at the FCC, Disney and Trump!

In a more than 15-minute monologue at the top of the show, Kimmel gave an impassioned defense of free speech, needled the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission and President Donald Trump and explained his comments about the response to the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

“It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man,” Kimmel said, his voice choking up with emotion. “I don’t think there’s anything funny about it.”

Nor, he said, was it his intention to blame any specific group, saying he understood that, to some, that’s what it sounded like.

Kimmel criticized statements from FCC chairman Brendan Carr, calling them efforts at “un-American” censorship and thanked his supporters, fellow late-night comics and even conservatives, such as Ben Shapiro and Ted Cruz, for speaking out.

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

He closed his monologue on another emotional note, referring to the remarks made by Erika Kirk at her late husband’s memorial service on Sunday, in which she said she forgave his suspected killer.

“It touched me deeply,” Kimmel said, adding, “And if there’s anything we should take from this tragedy to carry forward, I hope it can be that — and not this.”

Check out his visceral monologue after the jump!

Continue reading #JimmyKimmelIsBack with a VENGEANCE after suspension! [vid] →

Grand closing, grand reopening it seems! ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live! returns tonight after being under ‘indefinite suspension’ since last Wednesday.

Continue reading #JimmyKimmelLive RETURNS tonight after ‘indefinite suspension’ last Wednesday! [details] →