Jimmy Kimmel back on air after suspension, says Trump 'tried to cancel me, instead forced millions to watch the show'

Kimmel, who hosts Jimmy Kimmel Live!, cleared he did not intend to "make light" of Charlie's murder and he doesn't believe there was anything funny to the crime.

"I do want to make something clear, because it’s important to me as a human and that is, you understand that it was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man," Kimmel said turning emotional in his first monologue after the show resumed.

"I don’t think there’s anything funny about it," he said, and added, "Nor was it my intention to blame any specific group for the actions of what – it was obviously a deeply disturbed individual."

Kimmel said, "That was really the opposite of the point I was trying to make, but I understand that to some that felt either ill-timed or unclear, or maybe both. And for those who think I did point a finger, I get why you’re upset. If the situation was reversed, there’s a good chance I’d have felt the same way."

Kimmel returned to the show after the broadcaster faced flak from various corners including Hollywood stars as well as a Republican like Ted Cruz over the suspension.

As his suspension triggered a national debate over free speech for which the US is known for, Kimmel said the government's threat to silence comedians is "anti-American".

"This show is not important. What is important is that we get to live in a country that allows us to have a show like this," Kimmel said and added with a jibe, "He (Donald Trump) tried his best to cancel me, instead he forced millions of people to watch the show, that backfired bigly."

Kimmel said Charlie's wife Erika Kirk forgiving the man who shot her husband "is an example we should follow".

Charlie, who was the loyalist of President Trump, was shot dead during his address at the Utah Valley University in Orem.

A single gunshot was fired and it struck Charlie on his neck when he was addressing the students at the university.

He was speaking at an outdoor "Prove Me Wrong" table as part of his American Comeback Tour. 

Touching upon the issue in the show, Kimmel had controversially said, "We hit some new lows over the weekend with the Maga gang desperately trying to characterise 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..." added the host, who passes satirical comments on the Trump administration in the popular show.