Over across the pond, Christmas Day brings two very different broadcasts. The first comes from the monarch, the King. The second comes from Channel 4, which airs what it calls an “Alternative Christmas Message.” This year, the network handed the microphone to Jimmy Kimmel. He used the moment to tell Britain that America is sliding toward fascism.

Channel 4 invites celebrities, activists, and the occasional provocateur to deliver a speech that contrasts with the monarch’s message. it ams for reflection. Sometimes it aims for controversy.

Jimmy Kimmel went on UK TV to whine about Trump and ‘fascism’ in America:

“From a fascism perspective, this has been a really great year. Tyranny is booming over here.”

This clown is talking to a country where the government is IMPRISONING PEOPLE FOR SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS.

He of… pic.twitter.com/HNoedyw5kW

— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) December 26, 2025

Maybe Jimmy needs to talk to the people being arrested for their social media posts in the UK before he starts shooting his mouth off about authoritarian rule.

Kimmel opened by casually admitting he doesn’t know what is going on in the United Kingdom. Then went on to lecture the UK about tyranny, democracy, and the supposed collapse of American norms. That single admission revealed more than he realized. If you cannot track events in the country you are addressing, it becomes difficult to believe your political analysis at home rests on anything more than reflex.

Kimmel, who said he didn’t expect Brits to know who he was, warned that silencing critics is not just something that happens in Russia or North Korea. – Politico

“You may have read in your colorful 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. 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 added, acknowledging the “miracle” actually happened in September. – The Hill

During the message, Kimmel tried a dose of humility. He said most Brits probably had no idea who he was. Fair enough. Then he pivoted to warn them that silencing critics isn’t only for Russia or North Korea. He wrapped it inside the same story he always tells, the one where powerful people supposedly tried to shut him up over his Charlie Kirk comments. He delivered the line as if Donald Trump and the FCC had marched into the control room and flipped off the lights themselves.

Reality looks different. Without rehashing the whole saga, here it is in short: ABC pressed pause. Then they brought Kimmel back and handed him a new deal. Political prisoners typically don’t receive contract extensions. But sure, Jimmy, keep up the schtick.

He also apologized to Britain for the United States. Then he warned that our institutions are being “torn down,” listing everything from the free press to the courts to the White House itself. In his telling, all of this is happening because of Trump.

That’s a strange claim, considering which side has actually spent the last several years shouting down speech, policing ideas, and punishing dissent.

Hollywood Hero Syndrome

What Kimmel sold in that message was not courage. It was Hollywood Hero Syndrome.

In that version of events, the entertainer risks everything while powerful enemies lurk in the shadows and the spotlight turns into a battlefield. The story always ends the same way, with the brave comedian positioned as the last line of defense for democracy.

Real life tells a different story. Kimmel delivered a political monologue from a comfortable studio, the audience applauded, and the press dutifully labeled it bold. None of that resembles resistance. It looks a lot more like career management than courage.

We have seen this act before. Rosie O’Donnell fled to Ireland for peace from the dictator she swore was on the way. The dictator never showed up. The outrage traveled with her.

Kimmel is working from the same script. The stakes always sound apocalyptic. Somehow the crisis never lands, yet the outrage keeps getting renewed for another season.

If Kimmel truly wants to warn the world about oppression, the first step is admitting he isn’t a persecuted dissident. He’s a very well-paid late-night host with a microphone and a loyal press corps. Once he admits that much, the rest of the story gets a lot less dramatic.

Featured Image: The White House/Wikimedia Commons.org/cropped/Public Domain