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Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel ignited controversy abroad after delivering a sharp Christmas Day message to British viewers. His Channel 4 appearance skewered Donald Trump, reignited free-speech debates, and triggered fierce online backlash, drawing applause from supporters and scorn from critics who accused him of hypocrisy and political obsession worldwide.
Jimmy Kimmel Takes His Anti-Trump Message to the U.K. via Channel 4
Chosen to deliver Channel 4’s Alternative Christmas Message, Kimmel wasted little time aiming at the United States president. He warned viewers that:
“Tyranny is booming over here. You may have read in your colorful newspapers, my country’s president would like to shut me up because I don’t adore him in the way he likes to be adored.”
He accused Trump of “both figuratively and literally tearing down the structures of our democracy,” arguing that everything from the free press to judicial independence had come under threat. Kimmel sharpened his critique with dark humor, adding, “From a fascism perspective, this has been a really great year.”
The host also reflected on his brief suspension following controversial remarks made after the assassination of Charlie Kirk, describing a “Christmas miracle” in which even critics defended his right to speak. Celebrating his return, he joked:
“We won, the President lost, and now I´m back on the air every night giving the most powerful politician on earth a right and richly deserved bollocking.”
Despite the sharp tone, Kimmel struck a conciliatory note toward Britain, acknowledging shared history and turbulence back home. “We are a right mess, and we know this is also affecting you, and I just wanted to say sorry.”
Social Media Users Lash Out After Kimmel’s Christmas Broadcast
Critics on X said the address leaned more toward rehashing attacks on Trump than delivering humor. One commenter accused Kimmel of recycling old material, writing, “My god, comedy is easy when you just retell the same joke every four minutes.”
One user, @Bubblebathgirl on X, sneered, “Kimmel is exercising his right to free speech while claiming he lives in a tyranny. Got it.” Others pointed to perceived double standards in free speech enforcement, especially within the UK.
One particularly biting response read:
“I wonder if Kimmel even grasps the irony here. He is literally speaking to a group of people who have ZERO legal right to speak out against their own government. 🙄.”
The backlash underscored how Kimmel’s Christmas message, intended as a warning, instead became another flashpoint in an already polarized global debate.
