Recent findings from media watchdog newsbusters indicate a significant ideological imbalance in late-night talk shows, revealing that liberal guests are expected to outnumber conservative guests by a staggering 99% in 2025.
The analysis, published on Monday, examined several popular shows, including Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC, Seth Meyers’ Late Night on NBC, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. In the latter half of 2025, there were 90 appearances by liberals and Democrats compared to just one conservative.
The report categorized guests into two groups: party officials and a mix of journalists and celebrities.
Focusing on party affiliation, the analysis revealed 31 Democrats appeared on talk shows, while Republicans were absent entirely.
“Colbert topped the list with 17 appearances, followed by Kimmel with seven. The Daily Show had six, while Meyers was fourth with just one. Notably, Fallon hosted no politicians during this period. High-profile figures like former First Lady Michelle Obama, ex-Vice President Kamala Harris, and Senator Mark Kelly each made two appearances,” the report stated.
In terms of journalists and celebrities, the count stood at 59 liberal guests and one conservative. For context, Fox News host Greg Gutfeld was the sole conservative invited to The Tonight Show on August 7th.
Add to this another finding from newsbusters, which noted that 92% of all political jokes on these shows targeted conservatives, a rise from 82% reported the previous year.
This study compiled data from 13,097 jokes across 818 episodes of late-night television.
“Remarkably, only one Democrat appeared in this year’s top 10 list of punchlines. The highlights included Donald Trump with 7,045 mentions, followed by Elon Musk with 644, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. with 371. Other notable mentions included Pete Hegseth and Joe Biden, each with over 200 jokes related to them,” the report elaborated.
This data underscores the predominantly left-leaning slant of the late-night comedy landscape.
The analysis also pointed out that while some jokes about the Democratic Party were made, many were framed in a way that criticized party leadership as ineffective against Trump.
“The data is clear,” noted David Bozell, director of the Media Research Center. “These so-called late-night comedians are part of an elitist media establishment that has perpetuated animosity toward conservatives for years.”
