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Friday, Dec 26, 2025
Outside the box.
Jimmy Kimmel Tells U.K. Viewers ‘Tyranny Is Booming’ in U.S. Christmas Address
In Channel 4’s Alternative Christmas Message, the American host sharply criticises President Donald Trump’s year in office and warns of encroaching authoritarianism
Jimmy Kimmel used Britain’s long-standing Alternative Christmas Message platform to deliver an uncommonly stark appraisal of the political climate in the United States, asserting that “tyranny is booming” under President Donald Trump’s second term.
Speaking directly to U.K. audiences on Christmas Day, the late-night talk show host characterised aspects of the U.S. government’s actions as resembling a slide towards authoritarianism, in remarks that blend satire with pointed political critique.
The broadcast, aired on Channel 4 shortly after the traditional address by the British monarch, drew on Kimmel’s own recent experiences, including a brief suspension of his ABC show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” after he publicly criticised Republican reactions to the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
In recounting his return to the airwaves following public outcry, Kimmel framed it as a victory for free expression and a rebuke to political interference.
He told viewers that what he described as sustained attacks on independent media and democratic norms in the United States were not abstract concerns, but tangible developments deserving international attention.
In the speech, Kimmel invoked historical ties between Britain and the United States while also apologising for the state of contemporary American politics, suggesting that the two nations’ shared heritage made it all the more important for Britons to remain engaged rather than disengage from their transatlantic ally.
He urged audiences not to lose faith in the resilience of U.S. democracy, even as he underscored the gravity of the moment.
The address drew responses on both sides of the Atlantic, with defenders of Kimmel’s remarks praising his defence of free speech and critics dismissing his commentary as overly partisan.
The Alternative Christmas Message tradition, established in the early nineteen nineties as a counterbalance to the royal broadcast, has featured a range of provocative voices in past years and this year’s edition continued that legacy by spotlighting an outspoken American media figure’s view of the U.S. political landscape.
Speaking directly to U.K. audiences on Christmas Day, the late-night talk show host characterised aspects of the U.S. government’s actions as resembling a slide towards authoritarianism, in remarks that blend satire with pointed political critique.
The broadcast, aired on Channel 4 shortly after the traditional address by the British monarch, drew on Kimmel’s own recent experiences, including a brief suspension of his ABC show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” after he publicly criticised Republican reactions to the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
In recounting his return to the airwaves following public outcry, Kimmel framed it as a victory for free expression and a rebuke to political interference.
He told viewers that what he described as sustained attacks on independent media and democratic norms in the United States were not abstract concerns, but tangible developments deserving international attention.
In the speech, Kimmel invoked historical ties between Britain and the United States while also apologising for the state of contemporary American politics, suggesting that the two nations’ shared heritage made it all the more important for Britons to remain engaged rather than disengage from their transatlantic ally.
He urged audiences not to lose faith in the resilience of U.S. democracy, even as he underscored the gravity of the moment.
The address drew responses on both sides of the Atlantic, with defenders of Kimmel’s remarks praising his defence of free speech and critics dismissing his commentary as overly partisan.
The Alternative Christmas Message tradition, established in the early nineteen nineties as a counterbalance to the royal broadcast, has featured a range of provocative voices in past years and this year’s edition continued that legacy by spotlighting an outspoken American media figure’s view of the U.S. political landscape.
