Jimmy Kimmel delivers his monologue on Tuesday night. (Jimmy Kimmel Live via YouTube)Jimmy Kimmel returned to ABC on Tuesday night, nearly a week after the network suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! over on-air comments he made in the wake of the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

In an emotional 18-minute monologue, Kimmel addressed the backlash to his comments - and the firestorm that erupted over his suspension."It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man. I don't think there's anything funny about it," Kimmel said, choking up. "Nor was it my intention to blame any specific group for the actions of what was obviously a deeply disturbed individual.

AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"I don't think the murderer who shot Charlie Kirk represents anyone," Kimmel continued. "This was a sick person who believed violence was a solution, and it isn't - ever."Kimmel thanked those who publicly supported him, including his fellow late-night hosts. And he thanked those who defended his freedom of speech, including people "I never would have imagined," like Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, who said that the government should never be allowed to control what is said on television."I don't think I've ever said this before, but Ted Cruz is right," Kimmel said. "He's absolutely right."This show is not important," Kimmel added. "What is important is that we get to live in a country that allows us to have a show like this."Here is a full transcript of Kimmel's monologue:As I was saying before I was interrupted... If you're just joining us, we are preempting a regularly scheduled encore episode of "Celebrity Family Feud" to bring you this special report ... I'm happy to be here tonight.

AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThank you, I'm not sure who had the weirder 48 hours, me or the CEO of Tylenol. It's been overwhelming. I've heard from a lot of people over the last six days. I've heard from all the people in the world over the last six days. Everyone I have ever met has reached out 10 or 11 times. Weird characters from my past. The guy who fired me from my first radio job in Seattle, where we are not airing tonight, by the way - sorry Seattle - his name is Larry. In 1989, Larry tried to force me to do a bit called jokes for doughnuts, where people would call in with a joke and I would give them doughnuts. I refused to do it, and then I made a lot of fun of Larry for suggesting it, and eventually Larry fired me, and I had to move back in with my parents. But even he wrote in to cheer me up. Thank you, Larry, and I want to thank everyone who checked in all week.

Some that I do especially want to mention are my fellow late-night talk show hosts, my friend Stephen Colbert, who found himself in this predicament. My friends Jon Stewart, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Fallon, John Oliver, Conan O'Brien, James Corden, Arsenio, Kathy, Wanda, Chelsea, and even Jay reached out. I heard from late-night hosts in other countries, from Ireland and from Germany. The guy in Germany offered me a job. Can you imagine? This country has become so authoritarian, the Germans are like, "Come here! Cut loose!"My boyhood idols Howard Stern and David Letterman were very considerate and kind, and I feel honored to be part of a group of people that knows what goes into doing a show like this. And I also want to thank all of you, I do, thanks to - for supporting our show, to care enough to do something about it, to make your voices heard so that mine could be heard. I will never forget it.

And maybe most of all, I want the people who don't support my show and what I believe but support my right to share those beliefs anyway. I never would have imagined Ben Shapiro, Clay Travis, Candace Owens, Mitch McConnell, Rand Paul, even my old pal Ted Cruz, who, believe it or not, said something very beautiful on my behalf.

AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement[Clip of Ted Cruz] "I hate what Jimmy Kimmel said. I am thrilled that he was fired."Oh, wait, no, not that, the other part.[Cruz clip continues] "But let me tell you, if the government gets in the business of saying, 'We don't like what you, the media, have said, we're going to ban you from the airwaves if you don't say what we like,' that will end up bad for conservatives."I don't think I've ever said this before, but Ted Cruz is right. He's absolutely right. This affects all of us, including him. I mean, think about it, if Ted Cruz can't speak freely, then he can't cast spells on The Smurfs.

AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementEven though I don't agree with many of those people on most subjects, some of the things they say even make me wanna throw up, it takes courage for them to speak out against this administration, and they did, and they deserve credit for it. And thanks for telling their followers that our government cannot be allowed to control what we do and do not say on television, and that we have to stand up to it.I've been