PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Sinclair Broadcast Group and Nexstar have reinstated Jimmy Kimmel Live! after a week-long ban due to false statements Kimmel made regarding the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Jimmy Kimmel, Sinclair Broadcast Group, ABC, Disney, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr, and President Donald J. Trump.

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📍WHEN & WHERE: The suspension occurred after Kimmel’s monologue on September 15, with his reinstatement announced on Friday. The show airs on ABC affiliates across the United States.

💬KEY QUOTE: “It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man,” Kimmel claimed during his return monologue.

🎯IMPACT: Kimmel’s decision to spread a hoax that Kirk’s alleged assassin was MAGA, rather than a radical leftist, led to calls for accountability within Disney for his actions.

Sinclair Broadcast Group and Nexstar announced on Friday that they will reinstate Jimmy Kimmel Live! on their ABC affiliates after a week-long ban. The suspension followed remarks by Kimmel spreading disinformation about the assassination of Turning Point USA (TPUSA) founder Charlie Kirk. Sinclair, which owns numerous ABC stations across the U.S., stated the decision came after “thoughtful feedback from viewers, advertisers, and community leaders.”

Kimmel returned to air on Tuesday for a number of other ABC affiliates, appearing to express regret for his remarks on Kirk’s murder but not actually apologizing. “It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man,” Kimmel claimed.

The backlash began after Kimmel’s September 15 monologue, in which he criticized President Donald J. Trump and his allies for their reactions to Kirk’s assassination and claimed the far-left alleged killer was actually a MAGA movement member. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr, appointed by Trump, suggested during a podcast interview that ABC’s broadcast license could be revoked. In response, Sinclair and Nexstar Media Group temporarily pulled Kimmel’s show from their stations, with ABC as a whole following.

Disney, ABC’s parent company, announced Kimmel’s return on Monday, though Sinclair and Nexstar initially maintained their blackout. Sinclair had called for “accountability” within Disney.

President Trump criticized ABC’s decision to reinstate Kimmel, writing on Truth Social, “I can’t believe ABC Fake News gave Jimmy Kimmel his job back.”

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