Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel launched a fresh attack on President Donald Trump during a Christmas Day broadcast in UK, saying that “tyranny is booming” in the United States and warning of rapid democratic backsliding.
Kimmel spoke as part of Channel 4’s Alternative Christmas Message, a long-running tradition designed as a provocative counterpoint to the British monarch’s annual address.
‘From a fascism perspective, this has been a really great year’
Speaking less than two hours after King Charles III’s speech, Kimmel used the platform to criticise Trump and mock him as “King Donny VIII.” “From a fascism perspective, this has been a really great year,” Kimmel said, describing the political climate in the US as increasingly authoritarian.
He claimed the US government had attempted to silence him, he said, “You may have read in your colourful 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.”
Kimmel said his talk show was briefly taken off air following pressure from the administration. “The American government made a threat against me and the company I work for, and all of a sudden, we were off the air,” he said. Referring to his return to television, Kimmel added, “We won, the president lost.”
Mocking Trump as ‘King Donny VIII’
The comedian told British viewers he was now “back on the air every night giving the most powerful politician on earth a right and richly deserved bollocking,” using a British slang term for a harsh reprimand. He warned that government suppression of critics can happen faster than expected.
He stated, “And the reason I’m telling you this story is because maybe you’re thinking, ‘Oh, a government silencing its critics is something that happens in places like Russia, or North Korea, or LA, not the UK.’ Well, that’s what we thought, and now we’ve got King Donny the Eighth calling for executions. It happens fast.”
Context of Trump’s ‘seditious behaviour’
Kimmel’s comments followed Trump’s recent statement that Democratic lawmakers who urged US service members to refuse unlawful orders were engaging in “seditious behaviour, punishable by death,” and should be arrested and tried. Democrats condemned the remarks as dangerous and inciting political violence. The White House denied Trump was literally calling for executions but did not retract the capital punishment language.
Reference to Charlie Kirk controversy
The Christmas message also revisited the controversy that led to the temporary suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! in September. Conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated during a speaking event at a Utah college. Kimmel later accused the “MAGA gang” of dishonestly trying to distance the alleged killer from conservative politics.
The remarks triggered backlash from conservative groups, advertisers and station owners. Several local affiliates preempted the show, and ABC described it as being pulled “indefinitely.”
‘A September miracle’
Kimmel described his return to television as a “September miracle.” “Millions and millions of people stood up and said: ‘No, this is not acceptable,’” he said, claiming support came even from people who disliked his show. The suspension lasted about a week. In December, Disney extended Kimmel’s contract through 2027, showing corporate support despite the controversy.