Jimmy Kimmel got a large standing ovation in his return to late-night TV last night. Here are some highlights:

Kimmel walked out to standing ovations and chants of “Jimmy, Jimmy” after a week-long ABC suspension. He opened with a Jack Paar throwback: “As I was saying before I was interrupted…”

Kimmel blasted government interference — “Our government cannot be allowed to control what we do and do not say on television” — and called attempts to silence him “un-American.”

Addressing the Charlie Kirk Controversy: Kimmel got emotional, saying he never intended to make light of the murder or blame a political group. He praised Kirk’s widow Erika for her forgiveness, calling it a lesson in grace.

Direct Shot at Trump: Kimmel mocked President Trump’s claim his show had bad ratings: “I do tonight… He tried to cancel me and ended up boosting me. That backfired bigly.” He even joked Trump may need to “release the Epstein files” to distract.

Network Drama: Kimmel admitted he was unhappy Disney yanked him but said they ultimately welcomed him back. He warned that put them in Trump’s crosshairs: “Our leader celebrates Americans losing their livelihoods because he can’t take a joke.”

Industry Solidarity: He thanked late-night peers (Colbert, Stewart, Fallon, Oliver, Meyers, Conan, Stern, Letterman, etc.), as well as conservatives like Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, and Ben Shapiro, for defending his right to speak.

Big-Name Support: Over 400 celebrities — including Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, and Ben Affleck — signed an ACLU letter backing Kimmel. Former Disney CEO Michael Eisner and John Oliver both publicly blasted Disney’s handling.

Classic Kimmel Humor: He slipped in Disney+ promo jokes, introduced a Robert De Niro-as-FCC bit, and reminded the audience: “Jimmy Kimmel Live! isn’t important — but the freedom to make a show like this is.”