The View co-host, Joy Behar, sent a bold message about Jimmy Kimmel Live!returning after ABC suspended the late-night show over Jimmy Kimmel‘s remarks following Charlie Kirk‘s death.
On Wednesday, Sept. 24, the ABC talk show’s hosts reacted to Kimmel’s big return to his live show on Tuesday, Sept. 23.
While sharing her thoughts on the topic, Behar, 82, made a bold comparison to the recent attacks on the freedom of speech in the U.S. to authoritarian nations.
“The thing that is interesting to me is that autocrats, dictators go after comedians. [Donald] Trump is not the first one to do this,” she pointed out. “[Vladimir] Putin, for example, his first actions when he took power was to take over a TV network that aired a comedy show that mocked him with puppets. In Iran, they’ve done something similar. Even in Turkey, with [Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan. They don’t like a comedian. Why? Because comedians tell the truth, make you laugh and it resonates with you. And they do not like that.”
Behar continued, “It’s interesting because they call themselves ‘strong men,’ but they actually are very weak men. Because they can’t take a joke. Throughout history, presidents have been mocked in this country, and it’s always been a great thing about this country.”
Meanwhile, Behar’s fellow co-host, Sara Haines, 48, lauded Kimmel’s first monologue since returning to TV after the suspension.
“He hit everything perfectly,” Haines declared. “I think he touched on the most important parts, like the protection of freedom of speech, but he also so emotionally recognized that his intention was never to mock a murder.”
She added, “And I think that’s where comedians are unique. You really have to think about the person you’re criticizing because oftentimes, comedians are here to remind us that we need to hold governments accountable. We need to be able to be equal-opportunity offenders. We’re trying to make people laugh. He was so clear on that.”
Additionally, Haines said she appreciated that Kimmel thanked the people who disagree with him much of the time for speaking out on his behalf. They included Ben Shapiro, Clay Travis, Ted Cruz, Candace Owens, Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul, among others.
“They deserve credit for speaking up in a moment that it was so crucial,” Haines shared.
ABC pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Sept. 17 after Kimmel’s remarks about how Trump and his supporters reacted to Kirk’s fatal shooting while speaking at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10.
On Sept. 15, the late-night host said on his show, “We had 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 with everything they can to score political points from it.”
Many celebrities have spoken out against the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, including Rosie O’Donnell, Angelina Jolie, Sarah McLachlan, Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart , Little House on the Prairie star Melissa Gilbert and more.
Next: Robert De Niro Sends a Clear Message About Jimmy Kimmel Live! Suspension During Show’s Return
This story was originally reported by Parade on Sep 24, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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