Podcaster Zack Peter accused Jimmy Kimmel of issuing a “fake” apology following the late-night host’s controversial remarks about U.S. President Donald Trump. Peter’s criticism surfaced after Kimmel’s September 30, 2025, interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.This was his first interview since Jimmy Kimmel Live! returned to air, following the show’s suspension over Kimmel’s earlier comments about the late Charlie Kirk.During this September 30 interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel criticized Trump for celebrating his show’s temporary shutdown, which had left his staff without work.“I mean, that son of a b*tch…No, I never imagined that we’d ever have a president like this, and I hope we don’t ever have another president like this again,” he remarked.He went on to argue that Trump had crossed a line by taking pleasure in the misfortune of others.“I never even imagined there would ever be a situation in which the president of our country was celebrating hundreds of Americans losing their jobs. But somebody who took pleasure in that, that to me is the absolute opposite of what a leader of this country is supposed to be,” Kimmel added.On October 2, 2025, X user Joe Rogan Podcast News shared a clip from the September 30 episode of The Late Show, featuring Kimmel’s comments on Trump. That same day, Zack Peter reposted the aforementioned video, contending Kimmel’s subsequent apology upon his reinstatement. He argued that the late-night host only apologized to salvage his career.“Kimmel learned not a damn thing. His apology was fake. He was sorry he got suspended, but not sorry for hurting, offending, and isolating half of this country,” Peter wrote as he reposted the clip on X.Zack Peter @justplainzackLINKKimmel learned not a damn thing. His apology was fake. He was sorry he got suspended but not sorry for hurting, offending, and isolating half of this country.Jimmy Kimmel opens up about his show’s temporary suspensions during his The Late Show appearanceJimmy Kimmel (Image via Getty Images)During his September 30 appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel also addressed the temporary suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, reflecting on what he described as an “emotional roller coaster” after being abruptly pulled off the air.For context, ABC had suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! on September 17 following remarks Kimmel made during his September 15 broadcast, which drew intense backlash.In that episode, the late-night show host criticized supporters of President Donald Trump, saying the “MAGA gang” tried to spin the killing of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk for political gain. His comments prompted widespread criticism, including from FCC Chair Brendan Carr, which ultimately led ABC to intervene.During the recent interview, when Colbert asked Kimmel how he learned his show had been “indefinitely” suspended, Kimmel recalled the moment vividly. “It was about 3:00. We tape our show at 4:30. I’m in my office, typing away as I usually do. I get a phone call, it’s ABC. They say they want to talk to me. This is unusual,” he detailed.Unable to find privacy in his office, Jimmy Kimmel recounted how he ended up taking the call inside a bathroom. During the conversation, ABC executives expressed concern about what he might say on air. That's when they informed him that they were taking his show off the air.Hearing thus, Colbert’s audience responded with boos, directed at ABC executives, which then mirrored Kimmel’s own reaction“That’s what I said. I started booing… I said I don’t think that’s a good idea, and they said, ‘Well, we think it’s a good idea.’ And then there was a vote and I lost the vote. So I put my pants back on, walked out to my office, called in some of the executive producers—about nine people—and said, ‘They’re pulling the show off the air,’” Kimmel recounted.Jimmy Kimmel (Image via Getty Images)Kimmel went on to describe leaving the meeting looking so pale that his wife compared him to comedian Jim Gaffigan. At the time, he feared he was “never coming back on the air.”Kimmel further detailed how, after the shutdown, he remained at the El Capitan Theatre, where his show is filmed, before attempting to drive home. However, his trip quickly turned chaotic as paparazzi and TMZ reporters surrounded his car, with even helicopters following him.The incident, however, weighed more heavily on his family. Kimmel admitted that his wife and two children were “shaken” by the ordeal and the media frenzy surrounding it.Reflecting on the days that followed, Kimmel remarked:“It was like a DUI in L.A., three days in jail where I couldn’t say anything. I just had to sit quiet and make a lot of phone calls and take a lot of phone calls. You [Colbert] were very kind to call me. … I did hear from literally everyone I have ever met.”Despite the turmoil, Jimmy Kimmel Live! returned on September 23, just days after the suspension.Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. EDT, featuring a blend of celebrity interviews, comedy performances, and music from its house band.