Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel’s latest message was aimed at U.S. President Donald Trump. He warned viewers about what he described as growing threats to democracy and free speech in the United States.
Jimmy Kimmel shares a message for Donald Trump
Jimmy Kimmel, as the speaker for Channel 4’s 2025 annual “Alternative Christmas Message, ” addressed viewers in the U.K. He reflected on recent controversies surrounding his show and free speech.
He referenced ABC’s decision to place Jimmy Kimmel Live! on an indefinite hiatus on September 17, following his remarks about Charlie Kirk. “[Trump] would like to shut me up because I don’t adore him in the way he likes to be adored,” Kimmel said. Further adding, “The American government made a threat against me and the company I work for, and all of a sudden we were off the air.”
The show returned on September 23, a moment Kimmel referred to as “a September Christmas miracle.” He credited public backlash for the reversal. “People who never watched my show, people who were on record saying they hate my show spoke out,” he said.
Kimmel then directly referred to Donald Trump: “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.” He said he shared the experience to warn viewers that government censorship can occur outside authoritarian regimes as well. “That’s what we thought, and now we’ve got King Donny the Eighth calling for executions,” he joked, adding, “It happens fast.”
Kimmel went on to say the U.S. is “figuratively and literally tearing down the structures of our democracy,” citing pressures on the free press, science, medicine, and judicial independence. He apologized to British viewers for the global impact of American politics and stressed that Trump does not represent all Americans.
