Late-night television host Jimmy Kimmel delivered a festive and pointed critique this week, targeting former President Donald Trump's recurring assertion that he single-handedly revived the phrase "Merry Christmas." In his Wednesday night monologue, Kimmel bestowed a new, holiday-themed nickname on Trump while dissecting claims the former president has made for nearly a decade.
Kimmel's Festive Nickname for the Former President
Opening his segment, Kimmel directly addressed what he characterized as Trump's yearslong fixation on the so-called "War on Christmas." The host coined the nickname "Rant-a-Claus" for the former president, suggesting nobody loves taking credit for the simple holiday greeting more than him. The playful yet biting label set the tone for a compilation that followed.
A Supercut of Repeated Claims
Kimmel then aired a meticulously edited supercut, showcasing Donald Trump making the same claim repeatedly from 2015 through to recent appearances. In the clips, Trump falsely states that before his political intervention, people had stopped using "Merry Christmas."
"They weren't saying 'Merry Christmas.' Now they're saying 'Merry Christmas' again," Trump claimed in one highlighted instance. In another clip, he sought validation from a crowd, asking, "And now they're all saying 'Merry Christmas' again, right?" The compilation served as visual proof of a talking point Trump has returned to for years.
Kimmel's Sarcastic Rebuttal
Following the supercut, Jimmy Kimmel offered a dry and sarcastic counterpoint to Trump's narrative. Expressing mock amazement, the host deadpanned, "It's almost like we never stopped saying 'Merry Christmas' in the first place." His comment underscored the widespread perception that Trump's claim is a political construct rather than a reflection of social reality.
The segment blends political satire with holiday humour, a staple of late-night comedy. By focusing on a claim Trump has made consistently over eight years, Kimmel highlighted a peculiar and enduring aspect of the former president's public persona. The full monologue, which includes this segment, is available for viewers who want to see the comedic take in its entirety.
