Jimmy Kimmel had a big night. And he made sure Donald Trump was part of it.
The late-night host won Best Talk Show at the Critics’ Choice Awards. But instead of a quiet thank you speech, Kimmel turned the spotlight straight on the president.
Standing on stage, Kimmel smiled and delivered the line that got the biggest laugh of the night.
“And most of all, I want to thank our president, Donald Jennifer Trump,” he said. “Without whom, we would be going home empty-handed tonight.”
The room erupted. The joke landed. And the message was clear.
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Trump remains Kimmel’s favorite target.
Backstage, the host took a more serious tone. He described the past year as something close to a personal crisis. “Almost a near-death experience,” Kimmel said.
He quickly clarified he did not mean that literally. But the pressure, he explained, felt real.
Kimmel compared the moment to watching his own funeral. He said it felt like standing back and seeing how people would react if he were suddenly gone.
And the reaction surprised him.
Kimmel said viewers responded with urgency. Not just support, but something stronger.
Almost desperation.
He explained it this way. When powerful people start going after comedians, many Americans feel a line has been crossed. That moment, he said, changed everything.
Kimmel thanked viewers for pushing back. He said the support reminded him why comedy still matters, especially now.
The tension between Kimmel and Trump has been building for months. On Christmas Day, Kimmel delivered the Alternative Christmas Message for Channel 4 in the United Kingdom. And once again, Trump was front and center.
“From a fascism perspective, this has been a really great year,” Kimmel said. “Tyranny is booming over here.”
He told British viewers that the American president wanted him silenced because he refused to show admiration.
The comments sparked fresh attention. And more backlash.
But Kimmel did not back down.
He later revealed that the U.S. government had made threats against him and ABC. Soon after, his show went off the air. For a moment, it looked like Trump had won. Then something unexpected happened. Kimmel called it a miracle. Not a Christmas one. A September one.
The show returned. Ratings climbed. And the audience came back stronger.
“Our show came back stronger than ever,” Kimmel said.
Then he delivered the line that summed up the year.
“We won. The president lost.”
Watch the full clip below.
Featured image YouTube screengrab
