In a year that saw major shakeups in late-night television – including cancellations and suspensions linked to political controversies – a new study claims the genre skewed even further left in its political humor. The Media Research Center (MRC), a conservative media watchdog group funded in part by Republican donor Robert Mercer, analyzed over 13,000 political jokes across six major shows in 2025 and found that 92% targeted conservatives, up from 82% the previous year.

The report, released just before Christmas 2025, examined monologues and segments from The Daily Show (Comedy Central), Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC), The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers (NBC), The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS), and After Midnight (until its June cancellation). Out of 13,097 jokes counted from January 6 to December 19 across 818 episodes, a staggering 12,011 poked fun at conservative figures like President Trump, Elon Musk, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Pete Hegseth.

Jokes at liberals’ expense? Just 982 – the first time in the study’s history that number dipped below four digits.

Jimmy Kimmel led the pack with the highest anti-conservative ratio: 97% of his 3,046 political jokes aimed rightward. The study attributes this to direct backlash from Trump and FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, which culminated in Kimmel’s off-air suspension following controversy over comments related to Charlie Kirk.

Stephen Colbert came in close with 92% of jokes targeting Republicans. His show was canceled ahead of Paramount’s sale to David Ellison, shortly after Colbert accused the company of a “big fat bribe” in a Trump lawsuit settlement.

Jimmy Fallon, hosting the most episodes (161), had the “lowest” conservative-target rate at 89% – still overwhelmingly one-sided.

The MRC notes party leadership mockery was more balanced (e.g., similar jabs at House Speaker Mike Johnson and Democrats like Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries), but conservative media figures like Real America’s Voice host Brian Glenn bore the brunt.

Deadline’s reporting contextualizes the findings: “Pressure from the right, whether direct in Kimmel’s case or implied in Colbert’s, was a defining feature of the year for the sector so it’s not a huge surprise that the content of these shows got more liberal.”

2025 proved turbulent for late-night. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ended early amid the Paramount transition. After Midnight was axed in June. CBS eliminated its 12:30 a.m. slot. Kimmel faced suspension tied to political fallout. These moves followed years of declining viewership, shifting to streaming, and accusations of bias amplified under the Trump administration.

Critics of the MRC point to its conservative funding and methodology – counting jokes without nuance on context or severity. Supporters argue the numbers reflect an echo chamber alienating half the audience.

As networks eye 2026 overhauls – with potential format changes or new hosts – the study fuels debates on late-night’s future. Is it comedy for all, or a liberal stronghold in a polarized era?

With viewership down and pressures mounting, 2025 may mark the genre’s liberal peak – or its tipping point.