Former vice president and word salad expert Kamala Harris delivered what may have been her most convoluted remarks yet during an appearance on &#8220;Jimmy Kimmel Live!&#8221; this week.
Much of the discussion was devoted to attacking President Donald Trump, but the conversation briefly turned to the Epstein files. When Kimmel asked why the Biden administration failed to release the documents when it had the chance, Harris responded with a rambling answer that managed to use many words while offering little clarity.
“To give you an answer that will not satisfy your curiosity, I will tell you, perhaps to our damage, um, but we strongly and rightly believed that there should be an absolute separation between what we wanted as an administration and what the Department of Justice did. We absolutely adhered to that, and it was right to do that.&#8221;
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“The Justice Department would make its decisions independent of any political or personal, uh, vendetta or concern that we may have and that&#8217;s the way it worked,” she concluded, as Kimmel quickly went to break.
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The conversation comes after Harris mentioned her intention to run again in 2028, following her crushing defeat to Trump in 2024, which saw her earn just 226 electoral votes to Trump’s 312. While she stopped short of confirming she would seek her party&#8217;s nomination, the former vice president told the BBC that she would “possibly” be the first female president.
&#8220;I am not done,&#8221; Harris said during an interview in October. &#8220;I have lived my entire career as a life of service and it&#8217;s in my bones.&#8221;
Even far-Left Democrat apologists have been asking about the Biden administration failing to release the files. Ex-MSNBC host Joy Reid blasted former Attorney General Merrick Garland for the same reason. 
“I don’t understand why he escapes the smoke. Even the Epstein files thing. I’m like, wait a minute. You’re telling me nine months into this administration, the podcast guys are claiming they caught the — now, I don’t know if this young man is the person that put the pipe bombs … but I know they said we solved the case in nine months,” Reid <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ex-msnbc-host-finally-asks-why-merrick-garland-didnt-release-epstein-files?author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Ex-MSNBC+Host+Finally+Asks+Why+Merrick+Garland+Didn%E2%80%99t+Release+Epstein+Files">said</a> during an appearance on “The Breakfast Club” earlier this month.
“Merrick Garland was there for four years. What were you doing?” she added. “The Epstein files. Merrick, what were you doing? For four years? You had the same evidence, the same files. Why didn’t you release them? Merrick Garland did, to me, nothing for four years. He might as well not have been there.”

Jimmy Kimmel

Kamala Serves Up Word Salad When Asked About Epstein Files During Jimmy Kimmel Appearance

Kamala Serves Up Word Salad About Epstein Files During Jimmy Kimmel Appearance

Entertainment

Jeffrey Epstein

Kamala Harris

Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) doubled down on the viral video he made with five of his colleagues, saying that he had no intention of backing off despite a pending inquiry into his comments.
Kelly addressed the issue during an appearance on &#8220;Jimmy Kimmel Live,&#8221; telling the late-night host that he stood by what he&#8217;d said in the video, which he claimed was intended to caution members of the military to follow only lawful orders from President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
🚨 BREAKING: Seditious Democrat Sen. Mark Kelly has cooked himself even FURTHER, running to Jimmy Kimmel and telling Pete Hegseth and President Trump he’ll KEEP pushing for rebellion
“I’m NOT backing down!” 🤯
Court-martial this traitor. Enough.
<a href="https://t.co/aoUDgjLyYg">pic.twitter.com/aoUDgjLyYg</a>
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1993653787442266433?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I mean, you can&#8217;t keep track of this guy and what he says,&#8221; Kelly said, apparently referring to Trump. &#8220;I&#8217;ll tell you this though: I&#8217;m not backing down.&#8221;
The audience cheered, and Kelly continued, &#8220;I mean, we said something very simple. Members of the military need to follow the law. We wanted to say that we have their backs.&#8221;
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What Kelly left out was the fact that in the video, clearly implied in their admonitions to &#8220;only obey lawful orders,&#8221; was the notion that President Trump either already had or would certainly issue one or more orders that were not lawful — and that they should be actively looking for them.
War Secretary <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pete-hegseth-unloads-on-insurrection-video-a-politically-motivated-influence-operation">Pete Hegseth</a> referred to it as &#8220;a politically-motivated influence operation&#8221; and argued that it was designed to sow doubt in the minds of service members and plant the seeds of insurrection. He, along with others, noted that Kelly was the only one of the &#8220;Seditious Six&#8221; who had retired from military service and was still subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) and could therefore be returned to active duty to face repercussions for his actions. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller <a href="https://www.mediaite.com/politics/call-for-rebellion-stephen-miller-scorches-dems-for-pushing-insurrection-against-trumps-military-orders/">described</a> it as &#8220;insurrection.&#8221;
Kimmel, only too happy to carry Kelly&#8217;s water, lamented the fact that the Arizona senator would now have to take time away from serving the people of his state to hire attorneys and deal with the consequences of his actions.
&#8220;[You have to] consult with lawyers, and have to deal with this when you&#8217;re first of all working for the people of Arizona, the people of the United States,&#8221; Kimmel said. &#8220;Now you actually have to spend your time — are you actually, like, worried about this?&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;ve been through a lot more challenging things than this,&#8221; Kelly said, waving away the concern. &#8220;What I&#8217;m worried about is the reaction and what this transmits to the military and the public, which is basically, &#8216;Shut up, and listen to that guy.'&#8221;
Kelly continued down that same path, noting that service members swear an oath to the Constitution while insinuating that President Trump — who also swore such an oath — was likely to violate that and order them to do the same.

Surprise! Jimmy Kimmel Throwing His Support Behind The ‘Seditious Six’

Surprise! Jimmy Kimmel Throwing His Support Behind The 'Seditious Six'

insurrection

Mark Kelly

Media

Pete Hegseth

Politics

After years of getting caught up in controversies and pushing election conspiracy theories in Washington, D.C., California Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell wants to go back home full-time.
Swalwell appeared on Jimmy Kimmel&#8217;s late-night show on Thursday to announce that he&#8217;s running for California governor next year, joining a crowded field of Democrats gunning for the position. He announced the move as he faces a potential Justice Department <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/eric-swalwell-faces-doj-criminal-probe-over-mortgage-fraud-accusations">investigation</a> into allegations that he made false statements on loan documents for his $1.2 million house in Washington, D.C.
Kimmel set up Swalwell&#8217;s <a href="https://x.com/TheChiefNerd/status/1991824644022874171?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">big announcement</a> by asking the congressman what could be done to push back against President Donald Trump&#8217;s agenda.
&#8220;I&#8217;ll tell you what I&#8217;m going to do. I love California. It&#8217;s the greatest country in the world, greatest country in the world,&#8221; Swalwell said. &#8220;That&#8217;s why it pisses me off to see Californians running through the fields where they work from ICE agents or troops in our streets.&#8221;
&#8220;It&#8217;s horrifying,&#8221; Kimmel said.
Swalwell agreed, adding, &#8220;It&#8217;s awful to look at, and our state, this great state, needs a fighter and a protector — someone who will bring prices down, lift wages up.&#8221;
&#8220;We can say that we&#8217;re the fourth-largest economy in the world, and we are. I love to brag about that, but what does that mean if we can&#8217;t afford to live here?&#8221; Swalwell continued. &#8220;So I&#8217;ve been in these fights as a city councilmember &#8230; as a prosecutor in Oakland, and taking on the most corrupt president ever in the U.S. Congress, but I&#8217;m ready to bring this fight home. So, I came here tonight to tell you and your audience that I&#8217;m running to be the next governor of California.&#8221;
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His announcement was met with a standing ovation from Kimmel&#8217;s audience. Swalwell also posted a <a href="https://x.com/ericswalwell/status/1991760527966851476">video</a> on social media announcing his gubernatorial bid. In the video, Swalwell focused on just two issues: fighting President Trump and making California a more affordable place to live.
Last week, Swalwell claimed that he is a target of political retribution from Trump after the president&#8217;s top housing official referred him to Attorney General Pam Bondi over alleged mortgage and tax fraud. The accusations stem from the Democrats&#8217; purchase of a $1.2 million home in the nation’s capital that he reportedly claimed as his primary residence, which would qualify him for millions of dollars’ worth of loans and refinancing, the New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/11/13/us-news/eric-swalwells-1-2-million-dc-home-target-of-doj-mortgage-fraud-criminal-referral/">reported</a>.
The Daily Wire reached out to Swalwell&#8217;s office for comment on his decision to run for governor.
Swalwell has been at the center of multiple controversies since first getting elected to Congress in 2012. The California congressman was a key figure in the Democratic Party who pushed the Trump-Russia collusion hoax during the president&#8217;s first term. Swalwell was later slammed for his relationship with a Chinese woman who is suspected of spying for the Chinese Communist Party.
Swalwell enters what is promising to be a competitive race for governor, as numerous Democrats hope to take over for Gavin Newsom, who is term-limited. He joins former Congresswoman Katie Porter, former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and billionaire Tom Steyer in the Democratic primary. Former Fox News host Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco are running on the Republican side.

Eric Swalwell

Eric Swalwell Wants To Get Out Of D.C. As Mortgage Fraud Scrutiny Intensifies

California

Congress

Democrats

Trump Administration

Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel’s wife, Molly McNearney, said she’s at odds with her relatives who support President Trump.
The 47-year-old executive producer and co-head writer of the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” show made the revelation during a recent episode of the “We Can Do Hard Things” podcast. 
“What is it like to come from a conservative family and become like, the Mockingjay of the other side?” podcast co-host Glennon Doyle asked. 
“It&#8217;s definitely been challenging,” McNearney replied. She recalled growing up in a “very conservative, Republican” environment and then becoming liberal after moving away from home. The TV producer said she wasn’t happy about Trump being elected in 2016, but said she understood it.
She said the 2024 election was different, though.
“It hurts me so much because of the personal relationship I now have where my husband is out there fighting this man,” McNearney added.
“And to me, them voting for Trump is them not voting for my husband and me and our family,” she continued, saying she has “lost relationships with people in my family because of it.”
“This is not just Republican versus Democrat for me anymore,” she added. “It is, to me, it&#8217;s family values, and it&#8217;s really hard for me because I grew up believing in these Christian ideals of taking care of the sick and taking care of the poor, and I don&#8217;t see that happening with this Republican party.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Jimmy Kimmel &amp; Molly McNearney: What Really Happened" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8PL-MhNoGZc?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
“I feel like I&#8217;m kind of in constant conflict and I&#8217;m angry all the time, which isn&#8217;t healthy at all,” the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” exec continued. “But I personalize everything now. When I see these terrible stories every day, I&#8217;m immediately mad at certain aunts, uncles, cousins who put him in power. And it&#8217;s really hard.”
“I&#8217;ve sent many emails to family, like right before the election, saying, ‘I&#8217;m begging you. Here&#8217;s the 10 reasons not to vote for this guy. Please don&#8217;t.’ And I either got ignored by 90% of them or got truly insane responses from a few. It&#8217;s definitely caused a strain,&#8221; McNearney said.
“I&#8217;ve definitely pulled in closer with the family that I feel more aligned with. And I hate that this has happened, you know? It feels silly. You know, part of me goes, ‘Don&#8217;t let politics get in the way.’ But to me, this isn&#8217;t politics. It&#8217;s truly values,&#8221; she said. &#8220;And we just were not aligned anymore.&#8221;
“Jimmy Kimmel Live!” was briefly suspended in September after misleading comments he made about the person accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Most nights, Kimmel spends bashing Trump relentlessly for every move he makes, including when he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kimmel-colbert-praise-trump-for-peace-deal-then-mock-him?author=Amanda+Harding&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Kimmel%2C+Colbert+Praise+Trump+For+Peace+Deal%2C+Then+Mock+Him">negotiated a historic peace deal</a> in the Middle East.

Kimmel and McNearny

‘I’m Angry All The Time’: Jimmy Kimmel’s Wife Says She Cut Off Family Members Over Trump Support

Jimmy Kimmel's Wife Said She Cut Off Family Over Trump Support: 'We Just Were Not Aligned'

Donald Trump

Television

ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel is getting dragged for once again featuring a drag queen reading a book by a conservative author to young children.
Kimmel invited back “RuPaul’s Drag Race” contestant Trixie Mattel, whose legal name is Brian Firkus, to read from Eric Trump’s new memoir “Under Siege: My Family&#8217;s Fight to Save Our Nation” for the bit, which aired last week.
Kimmel mentioned the reviews for the newly published book during his opening monologue.
&#8220;There&#8217;s one star and five star; there&#8217;s nothing in between, which is sad because it shows how divided this country is, and that&#8217;s not good for anyone,&#8221; Kimmel said. &#8220;So in order to build a bridge and to join hands through literature, we asked a prominent member of the Left to read Eric Trump&#8217;s book to young people so they could decide on their own what they think about it.&#8221;
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Trump Can’t Stop Blaming and Bragging, Fox News Has a Grip on Him &amp; We See His &quot;Hellhole&quot; Cities" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zwu4fJ_eeq8?start=626&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
He then cut to footage of Firkus, who walked into a room full of children in full drag and asked them, “Do I scare any of you?” to which they all said no.
&#8220;You just look amazing. Why would that be scary?&#8221; one little girl replied.
Firkus asked the kids if they wanted to help pick a book to read and joked, &#8220;Because this is, after all, a democracy. As of this morning, it&#8217;s still a democracy. I&#8217;m not sure &#8230;&#8221;
&#8220;Would you like to read a book by President Trump?&#8221; the drag performer asked, prompting the kids to boo and say no. &#8220;Hold up. What about President Trump&#8217;s least favorite son?&#8221; Firkus asked.
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During the exchange, the drag performer questioned a child about being potty trained before joking that Eric Trump wasn’t.
&#8220;Listen, we have to pay respect because this ghost writer worked really hard on this,&#8221; Firkus said before reading from the book. 
He only got through a few lines before one of the children said, &#8220;Okay, I&#8217;m going to stop you there. Instead of skipping this page, we should skip the entire book. No, instead, we should skip the entire storytime and just go straight to lunch because I&#8217;m pretty hungry right now.&#8221; The drag queen offered the child a Lunchable out of his trunk.
Firkus read more from the book, saying, &#8220;How is it that my father — who spent over four decades in the public eye — never once received a speeding ticket, triumphed in the 2016 campaign and became President of the United States and was suddenly charged with almost every crime imaginable, and many unimaginable in the aftermath?&#8221; 
One child claimed that it &#8220;doesn&#8217;t make any sense.&#8221; After asking the children for their opinions, one said, &#8220;I would kick him in the [censored].&#8221;
The drag queen told the kids he wanted to show them a &#8220;special science experiment&#8221; before taking them outside to stand in front of a wood chipper.
&#8220;This might not be a great book, but it&#8217;s going to make excellent confetti,&#8221; he said, throwing Eric&#8217;s memoir into the chipper as the kids cheered. &#8220;Alright, let&#8217;s go to happy hour,&#8221; he said at the end of the bit. “I have a drink ticket.”
There were many reactions to the unfunny bit on X.
“The goal of drag is to expose kids to alternate queer identities. Disgusting groomers,” Libs of TikTok <a href="https://x.com/libsoftiktok/status/1980098617714319551">replied</a>.
“Late-night TV has officially jumped the shark,” another reply <a href="https://x.com/wienerdogwifi/status/1980101370142138868">said</a>. “Jimmy Kimmel brought a grown man dressed in drag to read a children’s book on national television — turning what should’ve been family entertainment into a political stunt mocking Trump. Hollywood keeps insisting this is ‘progress,’ but let’s call it what it is: social engineering. The goal isn’t laughter anymore — it’s indoctrination.”
“Jimmy keeps hitting new lows,” a third person <a href="https://x.com/BrandoRepublic/status/1980229394703827220">said</a>.
Kimmel is fresh off a one-week <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jimmy-kimmel-returns-addresses-charlie-kirk-comments-in-teary-non-apology">suspension</a> for comments he made about Charlie Kirk&#8217;s assassination. While his supporters in Hollywood cried censorship, Kimmel has spent his time back bashing President Trump as usual and watching his ratings <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jimmy-kimmels-ratings-spike-crashes-back-down-to-his-usual-terrible-numbers">plummet</a>.
The drag queen stunt from Kimmel is nothing new. In 2023, he <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/jimmy-kimmel-finds-perfect-way-120517841.html">did the same bit</a> with Trixie Mattel, only this time he was reading Ted Cruz’s book, “Unwoke: How to Defeat Cultural Marxism in America.”

Trixie Mattel

Kimmel’s Drag Skit Targets Eric Trump, Uses Kids As Props

Drag Queen story hour

Drag Queens

Eric Trump

Late night hosts Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert admitted that President Trump did a good thing by negotiating a peace deal in the Middle East that led to the release of Israeli hostages &#8212; but they couldn’t help but temper their praise with criticism and rants, as per usual.
“What a day for Donald Trump,” Kimmel said on Monday night’s episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
“You know what? He finally did something positive today and I want to give him credit for it, because I know he’s not the type to take credit for himself,” Kimmel said during his monologue. “While we’re only in the first phase of what will undoubtedly be a long and tricky process, but the fact is the bombing has stopped, the hostages have been released, and Trump deserves some of the praise for that. So I know it sounds crazy to say, but good work on that one, President Trump.”
Kimmel couldn’t resist throwing in some snark, however. “Now maybe you can not invade Portland. Just an idea,” the late night host added.
“Trump’s been lobbying hard to try to win the Nobel Prize for peace,” he went on. “Now Trump’s focused on winning the prize next year, which is fine. Let him keep trying to make peace. I’m fine with coming up with prizes and trophies to motivate. Give them the ‘Nobel Re-Open the Government and Leave Healthcare Alone’ prize.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Grandest Asian Gaming Space on the East Coast!" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IOyDulT0qCo?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Stephen Colbert also mentioned Trump’s peace deal during “The Late Show” on CBS.
“There is some good news out there today: Thanks to Trump’s newly-brokered ceasefire in Gaza, all living Israeli hostages and almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners have been released,” the host said as the audience clapped and cheered. “It’s important. Credit where credit is due — Donald Trump did something good.”
Colbert paused then joked, “Are we still canceled? You sure? I tried,” referencing how the show will air its final episode in May 2026, as the network previously announced.
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“It’s kind of surprising to see him do something good,” Colbert marveled. “It reminds me of in &#8216;The Empire Strikes Back&#8217; when Darth Vader revealed this shocking secret.” The host then played a modified clip in which Darth Vader tells Luke he is an organ donor.
“Despite the deal on Friday, in a truly foreseeable turn of events, Trump did not receive the Nobel Peace Prize,” Colbert added. “How dare you, Nobel Committee? The man is a paragon of peace. He walks in the footsteps of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King. … After losing his campaign for the thing you don’t campaign for, Trump said he didn’t do the peace deal for the Nobel. And the White House communications director, Steven Chung, agreed, saying, ‘President Trump will continue making peace deals, ending wars, and saving lives. He has the heart of a humanitarian.’ We removed that heart from one of the detainees in our ICE facilities. He keeps it in the Oval Office next to the Diet Coke button in a little bowl.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="A Doozy Of A Week | No Nobel Prize | Trump’s War On America | Water Safety Authorities Fired" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DeAsGze2onQ?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Colbert also claimed that President Trump was causing turmoil in the United States while brokering peace deals overseas, trying to say that the president enforcing immigration laws was equivalent to “terrorizing communities.”
The late night host said he “agreed” with Trump’s statements about how he believed he most likely wasn’t going to heaven.
“While Trump tries to bring peace to the Middle East, he’s trying just as hard to bring war to the Midwest,” Colbert said. “And personally, I’m horrified to see how he’s stomping on my old stomping grounds of Chicago, Illinois, where I lived for over a decade. ICE has been terrorizing communities in the Windy City, going door-to-door in front of elementary schools, arresting immigrants, legal or otherwise, arresting U.S. citizens without any due process and tear-gassing journalists who are merely reporting on what they’re doing.”
Colbert’s show has been canceled, and Kimmel’s show was suspended last month after remarks he made about the man who assassinated conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The suspension was panned by Kimmel and his supporters as an attack on free speech, and they blamed it on pressure from the Trump administration.

Colbert and Kimmel

Kimmel, Colbert Praise Trump For Peace Deal, Then Mock Him

Israel

Peace Deal

Stephen Colbert

Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel is still complaining about his brief hiatus from television, this time by claiming that conservative media outlets “maliciously mischaracterized” what he said about Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
The 57-year-old rehashed the topic during the annual Bloomberg Screentime event on Wednesday.
“I didn&#8217;t think there was a big problem,” Kimmel said of his initial reaction to the killing of Kirk. “I just saw it as distortion on the part of some of the right-wing media networks, and I aimed to correct it.”
Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw said Kimmel’s comments were likely “mischaracterized,” and Kimmel agreed.
“It was intentionally and I think maliciously mischaracterized,” Kimmel replied. 
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Jimmy Kimmel on His Return to Air and Late Night’s Future in the Trump Era" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pSvFLrrSu94?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Kimmel came under fire last month for saying “the MAGA gang” was “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.”
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His show was suspended after that, sparking national outrage from the entertainment industry and others, who perceived pressure from the Trump administration as an attack on free speech. The suspension lasted less than a week, and upon his return, Kimmel delivered a tearful non-apology during his monologue.
“It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man,” Kimmel said, addressing his earlier comments about Kirk. “I don’t think there’s anything funny about it … nor was it my intention to blame any specific group for what was the actions … of an obviously deeply disturbed individual. That was really the opposite of the point I was trying to make. But I understand that to some, that felt either ill-timed or unclear, or maybe both, and to those who think I did point a finger, I get why you’re upset.”
While speaking with Bloomberg, Kimmel said his first episode back “probably went as well as it could go.”
The late-night host had previously suggested that the Trump administration was behind his suspension, but then, during his interview with Bloomberg, Kimmel said he’d “love to have Trump on the show.”
Kimmel’s comeback episode drew big numbers — but the bump didn’t last.

Kimmel Claims His Comments On Charlie Kirk’s Assassination Were ‘Maliciously Mischaracterized’

Kimmel Claims His Comments On Charlie Kirk's Assassination Were 'Maliciously Mischaracterized'

Celebrities

Charlie Kirk

Disney

U.S.

Actor Jeff Bridges is facing mockery for appearing on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Tuesday night to deliver anti-ICE messaging while dressed as his character “The Dude” from the cult classic 1998 comedy “The Big Lebowski.”
The 75-year-old wore the recognizable cardigan and got in character while advising Americans to “calm the f*** down” about illegal immigration. Bridges was on Kimmel’s show to promote his new Disney movie, “Tron: Ares,” which is currently being <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/tron_ares">ripped apart</a> by critics..
“We are in such a troubled time, I think, is a good way to say it,” Kimmel said. “People are getting crazier every day, and I wonder if you could perhaps summon &#8216;The Dude&#8217; to share some words of wisdom tonight.” He then got out the props to get Bridges into character.
“Hey world, The Dude here,” the actor said after donning the sweater and sunglasses. “So, uh, yeah, man. Can we just all calm the f*** down? I mean, c’mon. I’m talking about, you know, all the wars, the fighting, the canceling. I mean, let’s just chill out, man. C’mon, tone it down. We’re, like, at what? A nine? We ought to be at zero. Or zero and a half at max.”
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“ICE? Let’s get ICE off our streets and into our beverages, man,” Bridges added. “This aggression will not stand. Right? So let’s just abide. Abide together. Yes, we can do this. Now, that’s just, like, my opinion, but it’s a good one, don’t you think, Jimmy?”
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“That’s a pretty great opinion,” Kimmel agreed.
Bridges is being dragged online for his comments.
“Hollywood is a propaganda factory for the braindead,” one commenter on X <a href="https://x.com/KentuckyKOT/status/1976268301463388402">wrote</a>. “They take a beloved character and turn him into a sock puppet for their pathetic,  open-borders agenda. This isn&#8217;t entertainment; it&#8217;s a desperate, cringe-inducing attempt to make a treasonous policy palatable. It is a desecration of art for politics.”
“There are few if any groups more removed and out of touch with reality than actors. They have zero interactions with the real world and only know what their bubble tells them,” another person <a href="https://x.com/CraziestChester/status/1976268903216222287">agreed</a>.
“Jeff Bridges hasn’t been relevant since the 20th century. It makes complete sense that low-ratings loser Jimmy Kimmel would have Jeff Bridges on his show to cope with their Trump Derangement Syndrome,” White House Assistant Press Secretary Liz Huston <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/actor-jeff-bridges-tells-ice-get-off-our-streets-the-dude-character-jimmy-kimmel-live">told</a> Fox News Digital.

Bridges and Kimmel

The Cringe Abides: Jeff Bridges Turns ‘The Dude’ Into Anti-ICE Prop

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Jeff Bridges

Turning Point USA spokesperson Andrew Kolvet said he and other members of the company are glad Jimmy Kimmel was put back on the air because it ensures he no longer has “martyr” status.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t want Jimmy Kimmel to be a martyr. He doesn&#8217;t deserve it. He&#8217;s a liar, he&#8217;s an unrepentant liar, but he should not be considered a martyr by anybody,&#8221; Kolvet <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/turning-point-didnt-want-jimmy-kimmel-canceled-because-abcs-liar-doesnt-deserve-martyr">told</a> Fox News Digital in a newly published interview.
Kimmel’s late night show was suspended for less than a week after comments he made about the assassination of TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk on September 10. This led to the Left having absolute meltdowns about free speech and suggesting that the Trump administration had orchestrated the show’s suspension.
Kolvet says the best way to deal with someone like Kimmel is to let them keep lying and keep getting terrible ratings, which will eventually lead to their shows getting canceled.
&#8220;It&#8217;s important that when people lie, and they lie in that type of setting and that platform about such a huge event, that there are real consequences. And I think the best consequence would be that people just tune out,&#8221; he told the outlet. &#8220;People refuse to watch a liar on TV and that when the ratings come up and the P&amp;L statement, ABC reviews it, that they just say, ‘Hey, this isn&#8217;t worth continuing.’&#8221;
&#8220;When that happens, I don&#8217;t think that he&#8217;s gonna be able to blame us for it. I think he&#8217;s just gonna have to blame himself and his own choices, and when that happens, I&#8217;m not gonna be sad about it,&#8221; Kolvet added.
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Kimmel’s return last Tuesday evening drew a record-breaking 6.3 million viewers, more than triple his regular audience. By Thursday, those numbers had <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jimmy-kimmels-ratings-spike-crashes-back-down-to-his-usual-terrible-numbers?author=Amanda+Harding&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Jimmy+Kimmel%E2%80%99s+Ratings+Spike+Crashes+Back+Down+To+His+Usual+Terrible+Numbers">dropped by 64%</a>, leveling off at 2.3 million.
Kolvet said he’s been most upset to hear the narrative that political violence is &#8220;equally as extreme whether it&#8217;s on the Right or the Left.&#8221;
&#8220;I think that&#8217;s why I keyed in on the Jimmy Kimmel saga because he tried to lie to his audience and tell us that it was actually somebody from the Right that killed Charlie and that&#8217;s just simply not true,&#8221; Kolvet said.
&#8220;There&#8217;s no facts that back that up,&#8221; he told Fox News Digital. &#8220;And that strikes me as a really fundamental problem because … if you feel you can go into that platform and lie brazenly … that says that you don&#8217;t care about us as humans. That tells me that you think that we are worth smearing, slandering, lying about and dehumanizing people. And that&#8217;s how we get this violence in the first place.&#8221;
The saga began last month when Kimmel was accused of slandering conservatives when he suggested Kirk’s assassin was part of the “MAGA gang,” despite authorities saying otherwise. “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang trying to characterize this kid who killed Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said at the time.
While the host addressed the controversy during his return monologue, many viewers, including Kolvet, found his comments to be insincere. The TPUSA spokesperson called Kimmel an “unrepentant liar.”

Turning Point Spokesman Says He’s Glad ‘Liar’ Kimmel Is Back On TV So He’s Not A ‘Martyr’

Turning Point USA

Jimmy Kimmel couldn’t help but gloat about his post-suspension viewership spike, going so far as to publicly thank President Donald Trump for making it all possible. But after a very brief ratings boost, those numbers have come crashing back down to normal.
The ABC late-night host was temporarily taken off the air after comments he made about assassinated conservative activist Charlie Kirk. After a suspension that lasted less than a week, Kimmel returned to the air with a tearful non-apology, whining about how his words must have been misconstrued.
Kimmel’s return last Tuesday evening drew a record-breaking 6.3 million viewers, more than triple his regular audience. By Thursday, those numbers had dropped by 64%, leveling off at 2.3 million.
In the coveted demographic of viewers aged 25-54, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” dropped from 1.7 million viewers on Tuesday to 465,000 on Thursday, according to <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/09/29/media/jimmy-kimmel-sheds-64-of-audience-after-short-lived-ratings-spike-following-suspension/">The New York Post</a>.
The saga began earlier this month when Kimmel was accused of slandering conservatives when he suggested Kirk’s assassin was part of the “MAGA gang,” despite authorities saying otherwise. “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang trying to characterize this kid who killed Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said at the time.
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While the host addressed the controversy during his return monologue, many viewers found his comments to be insincere, noting that he stopped short of apologizing for what he had said.
“Kimmel is an unrepentant liar who tried to blame Charlie’s assassination on the part of the country that just spent the last 2 weeks praying and holding vigils,” Turning Point USA spokesman Andrew Kolvet said in response, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/unrepentant-liar-charlie-kirks-team-is-not-buying-jimmy-kimmels-crocodile-tears">reported</a>. “What he’s really saying is that he still thinks it’s fair game to slander conservatives. He would rather advance his own political and cultural agenda than confront the truth.”
Kolvet added, “It’s critical that liars admit they lied. There can be no restoration without that. Anything short of that is a fake and scripted cry line designed to endear him to his fans, not to make right the wrong he committed.”
The Left is exploiting Kimmel’s suspension to push the narrative that free speech is under siege and to fault the Trump administration for silencing critics. But others have noted how ABC made a business decision to suspend Kimmel, which they were well within their rights to do.

Jimmy Kimmel’s Ratings Spike Crashes Back Down To His Usual Terrible Numbers

Jimmy Kimmel Viewership Spike Crashes Back Down To Terrible Numbers As Usual

Cable providers Nexstar and Sinclair reversed course on Friday, saying that they would stop preempting the ABC late-night comedy show hosted by Jimmy Kimmel beginning that night — after about a week of refusing to air &#8220;Jimmy Kimmel Live.&#8221;
Nexstar released a statement regarding the change on Friday afternoon, stating that the decision had been made after discussions with ABC parent company Disney — and that the intent was to bring programming that the public would appreciate and enjoy.
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&#8220;We have had discussions with executives at The Walt Disney Company and appreciate their constructive approach to addressing our concerns,” Nexstar said. “As a local broadcaster, Nexstar remains committed to protecting the First Amendment while producing and airing local and national news that is fact-based and unbiased and, above all, broadcasting content that is in the best interest of the communities we serve. We stand apart from cable television, monolithic streaming services, and national networks in our commitment — and obligation — to be stewards of the public airwaves and to protect and reflect the specific sensibilities of our communities.”
&#8220;To be clear, our commitment to those principles has guided our decisions throughout this process, independent of any external influence from government agencies or individuals,&#8221; the statement added.
Sinclair released a similar statement on Friday as well, saying that the broadcast corporation remained committed to providing quality entertainment and had also discussed the matter at length with ABC.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Sinclair announces end of preemption of Jimmy Kimmel Live! &#8211; show returns to air this evening on Sinclair’s ABC affiliates <a href="https://t.co/DvBwhhuV4Z">pic.twitter.com/DvBwhhuV4Z</a>
— Sinclair, Inc. (@WeAreSinclair) <a href="https://twitter.com/WeAreSinclair/status/1971636546534285506?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Kimmel drew ire over comments he made about assassinated conservative commentator Charlie Kirk — suggesting that the “MAGA gang” was desperate to use the shooting for political purposes — and was eventually preempted by both Nexstar and Sinclair. ABC parent company Disney responded by suspending him “indefinitely,” but he was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jimmy-kimmel-returns-addresses-charlie-kirk-comments-in-teary-non-apology">returned</a> to the air on Tuesday despite still being preempted by Nexstar and Sinclair at the time.

Jimmy Kimmel Blackout Officially Ends As Nexstar, Sinclair Reverse Course

Google Bay Bridge

We Just Got Proof Of A Huge Attack On Free Speech, And It Has Nothing To Do With Jimmy Kimmel

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