Jimmy Kimmel says in Christmas message: ‘We won, the president lost’
Jimmy Kimmel has delivered a scathing – and typically comedic – attack on President Donald Trump in a special Christmas Day speech to Britain on Channel 4.
For its annual Alternative Christmas Message for 2025, broadcast by the British network since 1993 with an eclectic range of guests invited to speak over the years, Channel 4 turned to Kimmel, who took the opportunity to claim that “tyranny is flourishing in the US” thanks to Trump, who he said “thinks he’s our king.”
Kimmel also reflected on the controversial — and brief — suspension of his ABC talk show “Jimmy Kimmel Live” following comments he made in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s murder, accusing Trump of trying to “shut me down because I don’t worship him the way he likes to be worshiped.”
He compared his return to the airwaves to an (early) ‘Christmas miracle’, claiming it was because people rose up in support of free speech. “Our show came back stronger than ever. We won, the president lost and now I’m back on air every night giving the most powerful politician on the planet some justified and well-deserved trash talk,” he said, using a rather British term. “That’s a word, right, I used it right?”
Kimmel concluded his message, which aired shortly after the more traditional King’s speech on Christmas Day, by apologizing to Britain for the current state of affairs in the US, claiming that Americans “don’t all look like Trump” and urging the British to hold on.
“Nobody knows better than you that we’re always a little late to the game, but will we pull through in the end? Maybe. Give us about three years. Please.”
Watch the full transcript of Kimmel’s Christmas Day message below:
Hello, I’m Jimmy Kimmel.
I have no idea if you know who I am, but I was asked to present this year’s alternative Christmas message (which I’ve heard is a big deal), so I hope so, but if not, I’ll be hosting what you call a chat show (we call it a talk show) in what you call the Colonies, I think? I honestly have no idea what’s going on there.
However, I do know what’s going on here, and I can tell you that this has been a really great year from a fascism perspective. Tyranny is rampant here.
You may have read in your colorful newspapers that the President of my country would like to silence me because I do not worship him the way he likes to be worshiped. The US government made a threat against me and the company I work for, and suddenly we were off the air. But do you know what happened then? A Christmas miracle happened. Well, it was September, it was a September miracle. But it seems like the holiday comes earlier and earlier every year, doesn’t it?
Millions and millions of people stood up and said, ‘No, this is not acceptable.’ People who never watched my show, people who were known to hate my show, they spoke out, they marched, they did all this to support the right to free speech and because so many people spoke out, we came back. Our show came back stronger than ever. We won, the president lost, and now I’m back on the air every night giving the most powerful politician in the world some legitimate and well-deserved trash talk. That’s a word, right, I used it right?
And the reason I’m telling you this story is because you might be thinking, “Oh, a government that silences its critics, that happens in places like Russia, or North Korea, or LA, not in Britain.” Well, that’s what we thought and now we have King Donny the Eighth calling for executions. It happens quickly.
You know, it’s funny that we Americans are very proud that we don’t have a king. It’s kind of the reason why we left. Earlier this year, tens of millions of us marched in protests called No Kings. You had a few there. And just for the record: we have nothing against your king. I mean, I don’t know if you know this, but his son lives here. We – well, some of us – just have a problem with the man who thinks he’s our king.
Here in the United States, we are currently both figuratively and literally tearing down the structures of our democracy. From the free press, to science, to medicine, to the independence of the judiciary, to the actual White House itself, we are a complete mess. And we know this affects you too, and I just wanted to say sorry. And we want you to know, or at least I want you to know, that we are not all like him. We’re not all like that.
Look, I know (from the musical Hamilton) that our countries didn’t start out on the best note, but I also know (from seeing Love Actually) that we have a special relationship. So if I can speak for my country – which I certainly won’t – our message to you, our friends across the pond this Christmas: don’t give up on us. We’re in a bit of trouble at the moment, but we’ll figure it out. It may not seem like it, but we love you. We even like the things about you that you don’t like, like Simon Cowell for example. We are not clear. We are Americans. No one knows better than you that we’re always a little late to the game, but will we get through it in the end? Maybe. Give us about three years. Please. Thanks for your patience, and thanks to Spider-Man. Merry Christmas, and happy holidays.
