Jimmy Fallon hosts "The Tonight Show" on Sept. 11, 2025.

Jimmy Fallon is rooting for the return of his fellow late-night Jimmy.

On the Sept. 18 episode of "The Tonight Show," Fallon addressed ABC's controversial move to suspend Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show following pressure from the Federal Communications Commission.

"The big story is that Jimmy Kimmel was suspended by ABC after pressure from the FCC, leaving everyone thinking, 'WTF?'" Fallon joked at the start of his monologue.

On a more serious note, Fallon came to Kimmel's defense, telling viewers, "To be honest with you all, I don't know what’s going on, and no one does. But I do know Jimmy Kimmel, and he's a decent, funny and loving guy, and I hope he comes back."

Fallon then joked around about concerns that late-night comedy shows will be "censored." He vowed to continue covering President Donald Trump "just like I normally would," but then a voiceover in the studio to begin dubbing over his words with over-the-top praise for the president.

ABC pulled "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" off the air Sept. 17 after Brendan Carr, chairman of the FCC, pressured the network to take action over comments Kimmel made about Charlie Kirk's alleged killer. Kimmel had said on his show Sept. 15 that the "MAGA gang" was "desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them."

All of the major late-night hosts rallied around Kimmel in their Sept. 18 episodes and expressed dismay over his suspension. Jon Stewart even made a surprise return to "The Daily Show" to discuss the news, although he typically only hosts the show on Mondays.

In Stewart's highly sarcastic segment, the comedian acted deferential to President Donald Trump as if he were worried about being canceled next.

"Our great administration has laid out very clear rules on free speech," he said sarcastically. "Now some naysayers may argue that this administration's speech concerns are merely a cynical ploy. A thin gruel of a ruse. A smoke screen to obscure an unprecedented consolidation of power and unitarian intimidation and coldly antithetical to any experiment in a constitutional republic governance. Some people would say that. Not me though. I think it's great."

On NBC's "Late Night," Seth Meyers said it's a "privilege and an honor" to call Kimmel a friend and vowed to continue doing his show "the way we've always done it."

"This is a big moment in our democracy and we must all stand up for the principles of free expression," he added. "There’s a reason free speech is in the very first amendment. It stands above all others."

Stephen Colbert, whose own "The Late Show" was canceled by CBS in July, also defended Kimmel and decried the suspension as a "blatant assault" on freedom of speech.

Kimmel's suspension has sparked widespread outcry throughout the entertainment industry and scrutiny among Democratic politicians. While appearing at The Atlantic Festival, former late-night host David Letterman slammed ABC's "ridiculous" decision.

"You can't go around firing somebody because you're fearful or trying to suck up to an authoritarian, criminal administration in the Oval Office," he said. "That's just not how this works."

Kimmel has yet to release a statement addressing his show's suspension.

Contributing: Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jimmy Fallon reacts to Jimmy Kimmel's suspension: 'I hope he comes back'

Reporting by Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect