ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel joined Bloomberg managing editor for media and entertainment Lucas Shaw on Wednesday for a discussion at Bloomberg Screentime. Twice during their conversation, Kimmel accused his critics of “distortion” and “intentionally and I think maliciously” mischaracterizing the comments that got him suspended. However, sandwiched in-between those remarks, Kimmel also unwittingly appeared to discredit his and his supporters’ belief that it was President Trump and FCC Chairman Brendan Carr that got him suspended.

Shaw began by asking, “How long after the initial episode where you made the comments about the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the Monday episode, did you realize there was a problem?”

Kimmel began by declaring that, “I didn't think there was a big problem. I, you know, I just saw it as distortion on the part of some of the right-wing media networks.”

Eventually, Shaw noticed that Kimmel never did answer the question, so he tried again, “And so at what point did you realize this was a problem?”

Kimmel replied, “I think when they pulled the show off the air. I was like, ‘Well, that's unusual,’ yeah.”

After Shaw asked about his conversations with Disney CEO Bob Iger and co-chairman Dana Walden, Kimmel claimed the suspension was actually good for him because it allowed him to cool down:

I mean, like, really good conversations. They are—these are people that I've known for a long time and I— who I like very much and who were, you know, who wanted, we all wanted this to work out best. And I will tell you, like, I mean, first of all, I ruined Dana's weekend. It was just non-stop phone calls all weekend, but I don't think what— I don't think the result, which I think turned out to be very positive, would have been as positive if I hadn't talked to Dana as much as I did because it helped me think everything through, and it helped me just, kind of, understand where everyone was coming from. I can sometimes be reactionary. I can sometimes be aggressive and I can sometimes be unpleasant, and I think that it helped me—really having those days to think about it was helpful.

That’s nice, but it does destroy the narrative that Kimmel was suspended because a vindictive presidential administration was running afoul of the First Amendment by trying to kick its critics off the air.

A few moments later, Kimmel discussed his first episode back, “I knew that it wasn't going to be perfect and there were always going to be people that didn't like it and didn't accept it, but the important thing to me was that I was able to explain what I was saying, what I was trying to say—”

Shaw interrupted to add, “Right, because you felt like your initial comments had been mischaracterized.”

Kimmel then claimed there is no doubt about that, “I didn't feel like it, it was. It was intentionally and, I think, maliciously mischaracterized. Yes.”

To recap, on September 15, Kimmel claimed, “We hit some new lows over the weekend with 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.”

All available evidence at the time pointed to the shooter being on the left and Kimmel’s omission of those details means that he was either grossly uninformed or was engaging in outrageous conspiracy theories. Either way, it made a mockery of Kimmel’s previous claims that everything he says goes through a rigorous fact-checking process.

Here is a transcript for the October 8 event:

Bloomberg Screentime

10/8/2025

LUCAS SHAW: How long after the initial episode where you made the comments about the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the Monday episode—

JIMMY KIMMEL: Yeah.

SHAW: — did you realize there was a problem?

KIMMEL: I didn't think there was a big problem. I, you know, I just saw it as distortion on the part of some of the right-wing media networks, and I was, I aimed to correct it. I have problems, like, all the time—

SHAW: Yeah.

KIMMEL: — and it's kind of funny because sometimes you think, “Oh, this is not a problem,” and then it turns into be a big problem and then sometimes it goes the other way where you think like, “uh-oh, this is gonna be a problem" and nobody really notices.

SHAW: Right. And so at what point did you realize this was a problem?

KIMMEL: I think when they pulled the show off the air. I was like, “Well, that's unusual,” yeah.

SHAW: And what were the conversations that Dana and Bob that led to that?

KIMMEL: I hate to disappoint you, but they were really good conversations.

SHAW: I'm not asking for you to slam anyone.

KIMMEL: I mean, like, really good conversations. They are—these are people that I've known for a long time and I— who I like very much and who were, you know, who wanted, we all wanted this to work out best. And I will tell you, like, I mean, first of all, I ruined Dana's weekend. It was just non-stop phone calls all weekend, but I don't think what— I don't think the result, which I think turned out to be very positive, would have been as positive if I hadn't talked to Dana as much as I did because it helped me think everything through, and it helped me just, kind of, understand where everyone was coming from. I can sometimes be reactionary. I can sometimes be aggressive and I can sometimes be unpleasant, and I think that it helped me—really having those days to think about it was helpful.

…

KIMMEL: I knew that it wasn't going to be perfect and there were always going to be people that didn't like it and didn't accept it, but the important thing to me was that I was able to explain what I was saying, what I was trying to say—

SHAW: Right, because you felt like your initial comments had been mischaracterized.

KIMMEL: I didn't feel like it, it was. 

SHAW: They were.

KIMMEL: It was intentionally and, I think, maliciously mischaracterized. Yes.