NewsBusters, a conservative media watchdog affiliated with the Media Research Center, haas released a detailed study analyzing the political content of Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
The report aggregates data from previous NewsBusters tracking efforts, focusing on Kimmel's political guests and monologues from September 2022 through mid-2025. Titled "STUDY: Kimmel's Demise Began Before Infamous Comments," it highlights what the organization describes as extreme liberal bias in the show's content, particularly in the wake of Kimmel's recent indefinite suspension by ABC following controversial on-air remarks about the murder of conservative leader Charlie Kirk.
The study argues that Kimmel's partisan tilt contributed to declining viewership and the show's vulnerability, predating the Kirk controversy.
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The survey draws from transcripts of 369 episodes, quantifying political jokes and guest appearances to demonstrate an overwhelming focus on conservative targets. NewsBusters positions this as evidence of "hate" toward non-liberal audiences, citing examples like Kimmel's past jokes about conservatives dying of COVID or labeling CPAC attendees as fascists.Key Findings on JokesThe study tallies a total of 7,797 political jokes across the analyzed episodes.
Of these:
- 92% (7,189 jokes) targeted right-leaning individuals, groups, or issues.
- 7% (565 jokes) targeted left-leaning figures.
- 1% (43 jokes) were non-partisan.
- Donald Trump was the most frequent target, with 3,584 jokes directed at him alone.
.The report notes that in 2025 alone, Kimmel made 1,128 jokes about Trump compared to only 26 about Biden, underscoring the lopsided criticism of Republicans.
September 2022, Kimmel hosted 63 political guests, with 97% (61 guests) being liberals or Democrats. Only 2% (2 guests) were conservatives:
The sole prominent conservative was MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell (a Trump ally), who appeared in a segment where he was mocked by being placed in a claw machine.
Repeat liberal guests included George Conway, Jane Fonda, John Oliver, Seth Meyers, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.