Stephen Colbert’s ‘Late Show’ heavily featured liberal guests, jokes targeted conservatives 87% of time in final years: study

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AI-assisted · Cerebras / Llama · May 22, 2026, 4:43 PM · inspect sources below rather than trusting this alone

Stephen Colbert's "Late Show" has been the subject of a study by the Media Research Center (MRC), which claims that 87% of the jokes made in its final years targeted conservatives, particularly former President Donald Trump. The study notes that Colbert made a total of 3,639 jokes about Trump from January 3, 2023, until his final episode.

Coverage diverges significantly along the bias spectrum. Right-leaning outlets like Fox News and the New York Post emphasize the MRC's findings, framing Colbert's humor as overwhelmingly partisan and critical of conservatives. In contrast, Mashable takes a lighter approach, focusing on Colbert's comedic style and his playful jab at CBS, without delving into the political implications of the study.

What's missing from the coverage is a broader discussion of the potential impact of late-night comedy on public opinion and political discourse, which could provide valuable context for understanding the significance of the study's findings. This absence may reflect a blind spot among right-leaning sources that focus primarily on the study's partisan implications.