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yesterday

Kimmel Cites Poll Showing Higher Favorability Than President Trump, Draws White House Rejoinder

The late-night host’s return has become a test case for broadcast pressure from officials and for how viral reach can eclipse traditional TV ratings.

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The entrance to Walt Disney Co. is seen from West Alameda Avenue in Burbank, California, on Wednesday, June 2, 2021. (Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times/TNS)
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Overview

  • An Economist/YouGov survey conducted Sept. 26–29 of about 1,656 U.S. adults (±3.4%) found Kimmel at 44% favorable and 41% unfavorable (+3) versus Trump at 41% favorable and 54% unfavorable (-13).
  • Opening his Oct. 6 show, Kimmel declared he was “more popular than the president of the United States,” mocked Trump’s record, and suggested Trump could boost approval by releasing the Epstein files.
  • The White House responded via spokesperson Anna Kelly, touting Trump’s 77 million votes and deriding Kimmel’s ratings before punctuating the statement with “Sad!”.
  • Kimmel’s reinstatement drew roughly 6.3–6.5 million live/same-day TV viewers, but subsequent broadcasts fell back, with Oct. 2 averaging 1.9 million viewers and a 25–54 demo of 265,000, per Nielsen estimates.
  • YouTube performance has outpaced linear TV, with the return monologue surpassing 20 million views as a YouTube executive noted the platform’s gains, after some affiliates initially preempted the show before lifting bans on Sept. 26.