Donald Trump’s Christmas message this year came wrapped in anger, insults, and fresh attacks on free speech a pattern that has become all too familiar.
Late at night, the U.S. president launched a blistering rant on his social media platform, targeting late-night television hosts and news networks. For days, Trump had avoided mentioning the newly released Jeffrey Epstein files, but suddenly shifted focus by unleashing a personal attack on The Late Show host Stephen Colbert, whose CBS program is scheduled to end next year.
The timing raised eyebrows. Colbert had recently criticized CBS’s parent company, Paramount, over its reported $16 million settlement with Trump and shortly after, the network announced the show’s cancellation. Trump responded not with policy or facts, but with name-calling, mocking Colbert’s ratings and calling him “a dead man walking,” language that many critics view as reckless and inappropriate for any public official, let alone a sitting president.
Trump didn’t stop there. He lumped together late-night hosts across CBS, ABC, and NBC, accusing them of being “talentless” while earning high salaries a familiar grievance from a president who has long shown hostility toward journalists, comedians, and anyone who dares to criticize him.
More troubling was Trump’s renewed threat against media freedom. In another post, he openly suggested that television networks with negative coverage of him, MAGA, or the Republican Party should have their broadcast licenses revoked. This kind of rhetoric alarms media watchdogs and constitutional scholars, who point out that a free press is a cornerstone of American democracy — not something to be punished for unfavorable coverage.
Trump ended his tirade with a sarcastic “Merry Christmas,” underscoring the contrast between the holiday message of goodwill and his repeated calls to silence critics.
This isn’t new behavior. Trump has frequently clashed with late-night hosts like Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and Jimmy Fallon. Kimmel, whose show was briefly suspended last year, later called out Trump for celebrating job losses and said such behavior is “un-American” and dangerous. In a sharp rebuke, Kimmel noted that attempts to silence comedians often backfire — drawing even more attention to the criticism Trump wants to avoid.
At a time when Americans expect leadership, stability, and respect for democratic norms, these outbursts highlight a deeper issue: a president who struggles to tolerate dissent and repeatedly attacks the institutions designed to hold power accountable. For many voters, especially those who value free speech and responsible governance, that contrast speaks louder than any holiday greeting.a
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