Sept. 24 (UPI) -- Calling attempts to silence critics "un-American," comedian Jimmy Kimmel used his return to late night television Tuesday to call on the public to defend their First Amendment rights threatened by the Trump administration.
"This show is not important," he said during his opening monologue. "What's important is that we get to live in a country that allows us to have a show like this."
Kimmel's eponymous show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, was pulled from the airwaves by broadcaster ABC on Wednesday over comments he made during the Sept. 15 night airing of his show in the wake of the fatal shooting of conservative activist and provocateur Charlie Kirk.
His comments criticizing some far-right conservatives for trying to "score political points" by characterizing the alleged shooter as a member of the left despite the motive not being known prompted Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr to issue what many critics see as threats for ABC to pull Kimmel's show or face potential federal punitive consequences.
The show was suspended, but Disney, ABC's parent company, earlier this week decided to allow the show to return.
