Los Angeles — Jimmy Kimmel leaned into his blockbuster return Tuesday night, noting a surge in viewership while taking fresh shots at former President Donald Trump — calling him an “’80s-movie-style bully” and mocking threats to sue ABC — during the second episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! since the network lifted a brief suspension.
ABC reinstated Kimmel after a six-day suspension tied to comments he made about the suspect in the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk; the host used his comeback shows to both defend his comic voice and acknowledge the controversy that prompted the hiatus.
Network data and reporting indicate the return pulled unusually strong numbers for the program: roughly 6.26 million viewers watched the first night back — one of the highest regular-episode audiences in a decade — while clips of Kimmel’s monologues racked up tens of millions of views across social platforms. At the same time, the broadcast remained pre-empted in sizeable swaths of the country where some station groups, including Sinclair and Nexstar, have said they will continue to replace the show with local programming.
Kimmel’s second-night remarks were pointed and theatrical. He compared Trump’s posture to a schoolyard movie villain — a line several outlets paraphrased as likening the former president to an ’80s film bully — and teased the former president over public threats about ratings and legal action. The quips dovetailed with Kimmel’s broader message that satire and late-night commentary are part of a long tradition of political humor, even as the episode underscored how polarized responses to those jokes can be.
The episode crystallizes wider tensions facing network late-night: shows can still generate massive digital engagement and episodic spikes in linear audiences, yet they also face growing pressure from owners, politicians and affiliates who question editorial choices. For now, Kimmel’s return is a reminder that controversy can translate into short-term ratings upside — even as the business and political fallout from the suspension continues to play out.
