HOLLYWOOD, United States (AFP)—Jimmy Kimmel, the renowned late-night host, made a dramatic comeback to U.S. television screens this week, drawing his largest audience in a decade. This resurgence followed a brief suspension triggered by pressure from Donald Trump’s administration, according to Disney, the parent company of ABC, which airs Kimmel’s show. The suspension was reportedly a response to Kimmel’s comments following the assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, with government officials threatening to revoke broadcast licenses. However, widespread public backlash and criticism from even some Trump allies, who viewed the move as an attack on free speech, led to the swift reversal of the decision. Kimmel returned to the airwaves on Tuesday with a scathing monologue condemning censorship. “A government threat to silence a comedian the president doesn’t like is anti-American,” Kimmel declared. He also criticized Trump for celebrating the potential loss of jobs for him and his team, stating, “Our leader celebrates Americans losing their livelihoods because he can’t take a joke.” Early ratings revealed that over six million viewers tuned in to the broadcast, despite the show being unavailable to nearly a quarter of American households due to a boycott by local TV station owners. This marked a significant increase from the show’s average viewership of 1.42 million during the 2024/2025 season. Additionally, 26 million people watched Kimmel’s monologue on social media, making it the show’s most successful night in a decade. Trump, who has frequently targeted Kimmel and other late-night hosts with criticism, had previously celebrated the suspension, calling it “Great news for America.” However, Kimmel quipped during his return, “He tried his best to cancel me. Instead, he forced millions of people to watch the show. That backfired bigly,” to thunderous applause from the studio audience.