The View‘s panelists are sharing their reactions to Jimmy Kimmel’s first monologue back following the temporary suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC.
On Wednesday, Sept. 24, the ABC daytime talk show opened its latest episode with a discussion on the return of
Jimmy Kimmel Live! — less than one day after Kimmel, 57, broke his silence on the network’s decision to “indefinitely” pull his program and eventually put it back on air.
His monologue, which earned a standing ovation from his audience, featured a discussion on President Donald Trump’s response and the right-wing personalities who defended his right to free speech throughout the week, while also featuring an emotional moment where Kimmel got choked up while discussing the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk. As panelist Sara Haines put it, she felt Kimmel “hit everything perfectly.”
“I think he touched on the most important parts, like, the protection of the freedom of speech. But he also emotionally recognized that his intention was to never mock a murder,” Haines, 48, said. “I think that’s where comedians are unique. You really have to think about the person you’re criticizing because oftentimes, comedians are here to remind us that we need to hold governments accountable.”
“I love that he really took time to say thank you to those people who disagree with me because they deserve credit for speaking up in a moment when it was so crucial,” she added.
Joy Behar, who reflected on the history of presidents being mocked, noted that “autocrats, dictators, go after comedians.”
“They don’t like a comedian. Why? Because comedians tell the truth, make you laugh and it resonates with you,” Behar, 82, said. “And they do not like that. It’s interesting because they call themselves strong men but they actually are very weak men because they can’t take a joke.”
“They are very threatened by people who are funny and they will always first go after the comedians,” she later added. “And that’s very important for you to watch out for.”
As Sunny Hostin then emphasized the importance of the First Amendment (“one of the most important things that makes us American”), Alyssa Farah Griffin said she thought Kimmel made the moment “bigger than himself” in his monologue. “He’s talking about something so much bigger than this particular drama and I thought that was big of him to realize that he’s a symbol of a struggle that’s going on but speak to the broader moment,” she said.
Whoopi Goldberg then added, “It doesn’t matter whether you’re a comedian or just a regular old person who goes about their day. You have every right, it’s your birthright as an American, if you’re not happy with what’s going on, you’re allowed to say it.”
“That’s why people still want to come to this country. Because we offer rights to people that many people don’t get in other countries,” she later added. “There is a great pride to still have in America. In spite of what you saw at the UN yesterday, there is a great right to being an American… We’re proud to be American, we’re proud to do what we do and we’re proud that you all continue to watch us whether you like what we’re saying or not. We appreciate you”
Kimmel marked his first show back on Tuesday, Sept. 23, when the host shared a tearful monologue that touched on the brief suspension. Specifically, Kimmel thanked those who “supported our show” and nodded to conservative figures — including Ted Cruz — who said they supported his right to speak freely.
The show was initially suspended by Disney’s ABC on Sept. 17 — two days after Kimmel made a remark about the fatal shooting of Kirk during a monologue. At the time, he said that “the MAGA gang desperately 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.”
“In between the finger-pointing, there was grieving,” he said, before showing a clip of Trump, 79, being asked by a reporter how he was doing amid Kirk’s death. In response, Trump said “very good” before changing the subject to the construction of the new ballroom at the White House.
“Yes, he’s at the fourth stage of grief: construction,” Kimmel joked.
Those were not Kimmel’s only comments about Kirk, as directly after the debater’s death, Kimmel addressed the “horrible and monstrous” Sept. 10 killing. “Instead of the angry finger-pointing, can we just for one day agree that it is horrible and monstrous to shoot another human?” he wrote at the time. “On behalf of my family, we send love to the Kirks and to all the children, parents and innocents who fall victim to senseless gun violence.”
Since then, ABC announced its suspension of Kimmel, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr (as well as Trump) applauded the move and Disney eventually announced Kimmel would be returning to air — with Sinclair and Nexstar both revealing they would continue preempting the show in their local markets, leaving dozens of markets would be without access to the airing on TV.
Before the suspension, Nexstar announced plans to acquire Tegna, a rival broadcast company, for more than $6 billion. The deal would consolidate the local television landscape and put Nexstar in 80% of America’s TV-owning households — with the acquisition requiring final approval from the Trump-controlled and Carr-run FCC.
“I never imagined I’d be in a situation like this — I barely paid attention in school. But one thing I did learn from Lenny Bruce and George Carlin and Howard Stern is a government threat to silence a comedian the president doesn’t like is anti-American,” Kimmel said during his monologue.
The View first broke its silence on the then-suspension during its Tuesday episode, following two consecutive episodes where its panel did not acknowledge the Kimmel news. “For me, I want to start by thanking our loyal viewers for demanding truth and courage from us. You deserve it and we will give it to you,” Ana Navarro said at the time.
