Jimmy Kimmel Doesn’t Back Down in Funny, Emotional Return—Watch His Monologue

The show began after a video montage of newscasters discussing Disney’s decision to bring Jimmy Kimmel Live back. It ended with him and Guillermo realizing they should change out of their monkey and banana costumes. After a long standing ovation and chants of “Jimmy,” he then opened with a reference to another late night host. Kimmel said, “Anyway, as I was saying before I was interrupted.” That’s how Jack Paar began his return to The Tonight Show in 1960.

During his lengthy monologue to mark his return, Kimmel listed many people who supported him. He cited talk show hosts from both the U.S. and other countries who reached out to him. He also thanked his viewers and his critics. That included one his harshest, Ted Cruz. Kimmel played audio of the Texas Senator who stood up for the principle of free speech.

Kimmel also addressed the comments that the government used as a pretense to suspend one of Donald Trump’s longtime critics. “It was never my intention to make fun of a murder of a young man,” said an obviously emotional Kimmel. They echoed what he said before. The talk show how expressed his condolences to the Kirk family in the immediate aftermath of the shooting. Kimmel also got teary-eyed later when citing Charlie Kirk’s wife Erika saying she forgave her husband’s killer.

He also talked about why his return matters, even if he doesn’t. “This show is not important,” he said. “What is important is that we get to live in a country that allows us to have a show like this.” He then called out FCC chair Brendan Carr’s hypocrisy and the absurd threat that led Disney to temporarily suspend him.

Kimmel’s greatest and most consistent ire was directed right at Trump himself. But only after he thanked him. He showed a clip of Trump saying Kimmel has “no talent” and “no ratings.” Kimmel then said, “He did his best to cancel me and 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.”

Later on in the show Kimmel went after Trump for celebrating people losing their jobs because “he can’t take a joke.” He also went at the President for “threatening to silence a comedian you don’t like.” Kimmel called that “anti-american.” And he aired a clip of a younger Trump saying he’s always been “thin-skinned.”

The audience frequently interrupted the monologue with standing ovations. Kimmel then ended it saying Disney did ask him to make one statement. He then read instructions on how to reactivate your Disney+ subscription.

After the first commercial break, Robert De Niro appeared remotely in a very funny bit. The legendary actor played the new mysterious chairman of the FCC. He said he used to do some work for “Sir Trump” in Atlantic City. The two discussed mob boss tactics and how certain speech was no longer free. De Niro’s character said that includes jokes like Trump is “so fat he needs two seats on the Epstein jet.” De Niro then ended with a joke about putting autism in Tylenol.

Kimmel also mocked Trump’s absurd, rambling, anti-science screed against Tylenol. The host said taking medical advice from Trump and Robert Kennedy Jr. is like taking advice from “a glazed ham with deep vein thrombosis.” He also played a lengthy montage of Trump saying “don’t take Tylenol.” It only got funnier (and sadder) the longer it went.

The show got back to normal when guest Glen Powell and musical act Sarah McLachlan took the stage. But both ultimately felt like footnotes to the rest of the funny, emotional, exciting evening. Supporters and critics alike will remembered it because Kimmel refused to back down to the people who hoped he wouldn’t have the chance to do exactly that.