MRC study: 45 of 52 late-night jokes about Senate candidates targeted Republicans
The conservative Media Research Center says 87% of jokes about Senate candidates on four late-night shows since Sept. 8 targeted Republicans. Only right-leaning outlets have covered it, and the study's scope is limited to Senate candidates.
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The story, neutrally told
Right · 2The Media Research Center (MRC), a conservative media watchdog, published an analysis saying 87% of late-night jokes about U.S. Senate candidates were aimed at Republicans. Just the NewsRC “a study by a conservative media watchdog group finds” Read at Just the News ↗ New York PostR “with 87% of jokes targeting U.S. Senate candidates directed at Republicans, a new analysis found” Read at New York Post ↗ Right · 1The study covered four shows: Comedy Central's "The Daily Show," ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!," and NBC's "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" and "Late Night with Seth Meyers." Just the NewsRC “The shows were Comedy Central’s "The Daily Show," ABC’s "Jimmy Kimmel Live!," and NBC’s "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" and "Late Night with Seth Meyers."” Read at Just the News ↗ Right · 1It counted 52 jokes about Senate races, of which 45 targeted Republican candidates and seven targeted a Democrat, according to the New York Post, which got the study exclusively from MRC. New York PostR “a whopping 45 of the 52 jokes about the high-stakes Senate races”“Only seven jokes knocked a Democrat, according to a Media Research Center study provided exclusively to The Post.” Read at New York Post ↗
Right · 2The analysis began on Sept. 8. The Post says it ran through Friday (Oct. 30), while Just the News gives an end date of Oct. 29. New York PostR “From Sept. 8 through Friday” Read at New York Post ↗ Just the NewsRC “from Sept. 8 through Oct. 29” Read at Just the News ↗ Right · 2The Post reported that 14 jokes were aimed at Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican running against Democratic state Rep. James Talarico, nine at Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who faces Democrat Troy Jackson, and six at Michigan Republican Mike Rogers, who is running against Democrat Abdul El-Sayed for an open seat. New York PostR “Fourteen wisecracks were aimed at Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton” Read at New York Post ↗ Just the NewsRC “Targets included Texas candidate Ken Paxton, Maine candidate Susan Collins and Michigan candidate Mike Rogers.” Read at Just the News ↗ Right · 1One example the Post quoted was Daily Show comedian Michael Kosta, who on Sept. 10 called Paxton "awful" and asked whether Paxton was really being run in "one of the most important Senate races in the country." New York PostR ““This guy is awful,” goofed comedian Michael Kosta about Paxton on the Sept. 10 airing for “The Daily Show.”” Read at New York Post ↗
Right · 1The study did not track jokes about other politicians such as President Donald Trump. The Post also cited earlier MRC reports that 92% of late-night jokes targeted the right in 2025, including 7,045 aimed at Trump. New York PostR “The study did not include tracking gags against other pols, including President Donald Trump”“found 92% of late-night TV jokes targeted the right in 2025 – with a jaw-dropping 7,045 of them slamming Trump” Read at New York Post ↗ Right · 2MRC President David Bozell said late-night comedy "has become remarkably predictable" and that "Comedy is sharpest when nobody is off limits." The Post said representatives for the four shows did not return messages. Just the NewsRC “Late-night comedy has become remarkably predictable.” Read at Just the News ↗ New York PostR “Reps for “The Daily Show,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and “Late Night with Seth Meyers” did not return messages.” Read at New York Post ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right2 outlets
- Framing
- Both outlets present the MRC finding as evidence of one-sided late-night comedy. The Post leads with a punchy, mocking tone; Just the News is shorter and more straightforward.
- Emphasis
- The 87% figure, named Republican targets, and Bozell's quote. The Post adds earlier MRC figures on Trump jokes.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Neither outlet quotes the shows' producers or hosts (the Post says they did not respond), an independent expert, or any discussion of how MRC chose and counted jokes. The Post notes that Trump jokes were not part of this study. Neither says how many Democrats were targeted beyond the Post's seven jokes.
- Charged language
- “Lefty late-night TV hosts”“a whopping”“far-left Dem Abdul El-Sayed”“jaw-dropping”
- For example
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“Late-night television continues to be as lefty as ever” — New York Post
“The majority of jokes aired on late-night comedy shows targeted Republican Senate candidates” — Just the News
What every side reports
- MRC found 87% of late-night jokes about Senate candidates targeted Republicans, 45 in total.
- The study covered The Daily Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Tonight Show and Late Night with Seth Meyers from Sept. 8.
- Paxton, Collins and Rogers were among the targets.
- David Bozell, MRC president, called late-night comedy predictable.
Where accounts differ
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End date of the study period
- Right
- The Post says it ran through Friday (Oct. 30); Just the News says through Oct. 29.
Republican Party party
No Republican Party statement appears; the coverage reports Republican candidates Paxton, Collins and Rogers as the main targets of the jokes.
“nine slammed Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who is trying to fend off Democratic challenger Troy Jackson” — New York Post
Late-night television topic
The shows are the subject of the study. Their representatives did not respond to the Post, and Just the News includes no response from them.
“Reps for “The Daily Show,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and “Late Night with Seth Meyers” did not return messages.” — New York Post
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right2 articles
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Lefty late-night TV hosts targeted Republicans in 87% of jokes about Senate candidates: study
Critical Treats the MRC study as confirmation that late-night TV is left-leaning, in a jokey, loaded style.
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Jokes on late night shows overwhelmingly target Republican Senate candidates, study finds
Neutral Short, attributed report of the MRC findings and Bozell's statement, calling the group conservative.
- 31 Oct 13:46 First New York PostR Lefty late-night TV hosts targeted Republicans in 87% of jokes about Senate candidates: study
- 3 Nov 12:58 +71h 12m Just the NewsRC Jokes on late night shows overwhelmingly target Republican Senate candidates, study finds
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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