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TOP OF THE DAY by Howard Polskin

Sep. 24, 2025

Greetings! Return not as easy as ABC: Jimmy Kimmel’s reinstatement to his late night perch drew cheers from the left, as well as  some powerful voices from the right.  Still, Donald Trump cast a dark shadow over Disney-controlled ABC and the network’s nocturnal star Kimmel.  “He is yet another arm of the DNC and, to the best of my knowledge, that would be a major Illegal Campaign Contribution,” the president warned in an ominous Truth Social post hours before the show was aired. “I think we’re going to test ABC out on this. Let’s see how we do. Last time I went after them, they gave me $16 Million Dollars. This one sounds even more lucrative. A true bunch of losers! Let Jimmy Kimmel rot in his bad Ratings.”  Up too late: I, for one, delayed my bedtime to catch Kimmel’s opening monologue.  Glad I did.  Kimmel hit all the right notes: tearful, defiant, emotional and funny. Robert DeNiro delivered a bold but uneven cameo as Brendan Carr that is likely to stoke the anger of the FCC chief and free speech’s enemy #1. Nonetheless, Kimmel’s homecoming will rank in the top 10 late-night TV moments of all time…Dept. of Bad Timing: Kamala Harris picked the wrong day for the launch of her campaign memoir 107 Days which dropped yesterday.  It’s competing for attention with the Kimmel return and Trump’s unhinged rant at the United Nations. Not a news cycle for a splash debut. …If you keep reading, I’ll keep Righting. Howard