Study alleges limited conservative representation on Jimmy Kimmel Live! amid suspension
NewsBusters claims Kimmel hosted just one conservative guest in four years; researchers say most political jokes target conservatives; show suspended following Charlie Kirk remarks.
A conservative-leaning study by NewsBusters claims Jimmy Kimmel Live! featured just one conservative guest in the last four years, citing MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell as the sole prominent conservative guest in that period. The research, conducted by NewsBusters—an arm of the Media Research Center that analyzes TV archives—also argues that the show’s monologues have skewed left in recent years and that conservative voices have been underrepresented on air.
The study publicly highlights that 92 percent of jokes about conservatives on Kimmel’s show since January 2023 were at conservative figures’ expense, and 97 percent of political guests were left-leaning. Across 7,797 political jokes over 369 episodes, the report says 7,189 targeted right-leaning people or topics, while 565 targeted those on the left, equating to roughly seven percent. It names Donald Trump as the top target, with 3,584 jokes directed at him. Lindell is noted to have appeared twice in recent years—2021 and 2023—with the latter appearance a comedic claw-machine bit in which Kimmel teased him.
The study references other conservative figures who have appeared on Kimmel across the show’s run, including former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who appeared in July during a guest-hosted episode by comedian Fortune Feimster. Schwarzenegger, according to the notes, has since begun voting for Democrats. The report also points to appearances by George Conway (September of the prior year) and other contemporaries such as Ted Cruz (2016), Mitt Romney (2016) and Bill Cassidy (2017).
The research notes that the show’s path has become a flashpoint in partisanship following the program’s suspension after Kimmel’s monologue about Charlie Kirk’s alleged assassination. Disney and ABC subsequently suspended the program indefinitely. The suspension drew controversy, with some supporters arguing the action infringed free speech, while others attributed it to Kimmel’s perceived unpopularity. The Daily Mail sought comment from Kimmel’s representatives and Disney on the study’s findings.