Jimmy Kimmel may have wrapped up his final show of 2025, but his criticisms of President Donald Trump have not gone on holiday break.
The late-night talk show host spoke to U.K. TV audiences in an alternative Christmas message on Britain's Channel 4, where he said "tyranny is booming" in the United States.
"My country's president would like to shut me up, because I don't adore him in the way he likes to be adored. The American government made a threat against me and the company I work for, and all of a sudden, we're off the air. But then, you know what happened? A Christmas miracle happened," he said.
During his speech, he addressed his pre-emptive hiatus in September when ABC pulled "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" off U.S. airwaves following criticism over comments he made about Charlie Kirk's fatal shooting. Trump-appointed FCC chairman Brendan Carr had pressured the network to take action against Kimmel, prompting outcry and accusations of government censorship.
Kimmel applauded the "millions of people who stood up and said 'this is not acceptable,'" including fans and critics of the show who joined in advocating for freedom of speech.
