Jimmy Kimmel monologue: What he said, and what Trump said about his return

Jimmy Kimmel returned to late-night television Tuesday after a nearly weeklong suspension and appeared emotional in his monologue, seeming close to tears. 

Kimmel took the stage to a long-standing ovation and chants of "Jimmy, Jimmy." 

Jimmy Kimmel monologue

Big picture view:

For 16 minutes, he touched on many topics and mixed humor and emotion to address the situation, but made no apologies. And he criticized the FCC's actions and the ABC affiliates who took his show off the air. 

For context:

Two stations groups that represent about a quarter of ABC stations, Sinclair and Nexstar, ordered their outlets not to show Kimmel on Tuesday.

What he said:

"I have no illusions about changing anyone’s mind, but I do want to make something clear, because it’s important to me as a human and that is, you understand that it was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man," Kimmel said, getting choked up. "I don’t think there’s anything funny about it."

He added that he wasn't trying to blame any specific group "for the actions of what ... was obviously a deeply disturbed individual. That was really the opposite of the point I was trying to make." He said he understood his remarks last week to some "felt either ill-timed or unclear or maybe both."

Dig deeper:

He also talked about the support he’s received, even if from surprising places. He brought up Ted Cruz’s comments: "But let me tell you, if the government gets in the business of saying (crosstalk) what you can and can’t say what you the media have said, we’re going to ban you from the airwaves if you don’t say what we like, that will end up bad for conservatives." 

And said, "I don’t think I’ve ever said this before, but Ted Cruz is right. He’s absolutely right. This affects all of us, including him. I mean, think about it. If Ted Cruz can’t speak freely, then he can’t cast spells on the Smurfs.

Even though I don’t agree with many of those people on most subjects - some of the things they say even make me want to throw up - it takes courage for them to speak out against this administration. They did, and they deserve credit for it. And thank for telling your followers that our government cannot be allowed to control what we do and do not say on television, and that we have to stand up to it."

By the numbers:

Kimmel’s monologue was posted to YouTube shortly after it aired, and already has nearly 9 million views. 

He also said Trump has boosted his ratings: "You almost have to feel sorry for him. He tried, did his best to cancel me. Instead, he forced millions of people to watch the show. That backfired bigly. He might have to release the Epstein files to distract us from this now."

Jimmy Kimmel Erika Kirk comments

Dig deeper:

In perhaps one of the most talked about moments, Kimmel urged a following of Erika Kirk’s example of forgiveness. 

What they're saying:

"There was a moment over the weekend, a very beautiful moment. I don’t know if you saw this. On Sunday, Erika Kirk forgave the man who shot her husband. She forgave him. That is an example we should follow," he said, becoming visibly emotional again.

"If you believe in the teachings of Jesus as I do, there it was. That’s, that’s it. A selfless act of grace, forgiveness from a grieving widow. It touched me deeply. And I hope it touches many. And if there’s anything we should take from this tragedy to carry forward, I hope it can be that."

RELATED: Erika Kirk speaks at funeral: Watch and read full transcript

Disney increases prices

Meanwhile:

Disney announced on the same day that it was raising prices again for its streaming services, including Disney+, Hulu and ESPN.

It’s unclear if the move was related to the situation, as many declared on social media that they were boycotting Disney and ABC over the decision to suspend Kimmel’s show by canceling their subscriptions. 

READ MORE: Disney raising subscription prices again — here’s when it takes effect

Kimmel didn’t mention the price hike in his monologue, but he did make a joke about the cancellations. 

"I know a lot of people have been asking me if there are conditions for my return to the air, and there is one. Disney has asked me to read the following statement, and, I have agreed to do it," he said, pulling out and unfolding a piece of paper from his pocket.

"Here we go: To reactivate your Disney+ and Hulu account, open the Disney+ app on your smart TV or TV connected device," he said, met with laughter. 

Trump on Kimmel’s return

The other side:

Tuesday night, Trump took to social media to slam ABC about Kimmel’s return. 

"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. 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," his Truth Social post reads. 

"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," he continued, referencing his lawsuit involving ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos' inaccurate on-air assertion that Trump had been found civilly liable for raping writer E. Jean Carroll.

"This one sounds even more lucrative. A true bunch of losers! Let Jimmy Kimmel rot in his bad Ratings."

EntertainmentDonald J. TrumpPolitics