Joe Rogan Finally Breaks Silence on Jimmy Kimmel Suspension — What He Really Said

Back from an off-grid break, Joe Rogan says Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension shows a squeeze on comedy and warns that those celebrating could be next — even as ABC confirms Kimmel’s return.

Joe Rogan finally chimed in on Jimmy Kimmel getting benched — right after he got back from an off-grid hunting trip — and he had thoughts. ABC has already put Kimmel back on the schedule, but Rogan used the whole thing to talk about where comedy and censorship meet, and why some people might want to stop high-fiving over suspensions.

Rogan: Keep the government out of the monologue

On his podcast, Rogan said he sat out the initial firestorm because he had barely any internet in the woods. Now that he’s back, his bottom line is simple: he does not think the government should be anywhere near deciding what late-night hosts can or can’t joke about. He also pushed back on conservatives cheering Kimmel’s timeout, warning that the same playbook can be used against them.

"You’re crazy for supporting this. Because this will be used on you."

Rogan called Kimmel a good, smart, funny guy, and argued the bit that sparked this was basically a setup to a joke aimed at MAGA fans. He even went full Rogan with a sarcastic riff about the so-called globalist lizard people biding their time — the point being, be careful about endorsing pressure that muzzles comedians, no matter who you root for.

What actually happened with Kimmel and ABC

• Kimmel made remarks on Sept. 15 that referenced the 'MAGA gang' and Charlie Kirk’s death. Yes, that wording is weird — Kirk is alive — which tells you how messy the discourse around this got.
• Last Wednesday, Disney (ABC’s parent company) hit pause on production of Jimmy Kimmel Live! to avoid pouring gasoline on what it called a very tense, emotional moment in the country.
• After talks with Kimmel, Disney/ABC confirmed on Tuesday that he’s returning to the show.
• Even with ABC moving forward, Sinclair Broadcasting Group and Nexstar said they won’t air the series on their stations.
• Donald Trump and some Republicans applauded the suspension. Others in politics and Hollywood blasted it as censorship.

Where this leaves things

Kimmel is back on ABC, but not every station group is carrying him, which means there will be pockets of the country where the show goes dark. Rogan’s take on the fallout is pretty blunt: controversies like this usually make the target bigger, not smaller. In other words, if the plan was to shrink Kimmel’s footprint, that’s probably not how this is going to shake out.