Overview

• The Economist/YouGov survey of about 1,656 U.S. adults found Kimmel at 44% favorable and 41% unfavorable (net +3) versus Trump at 41% favorable and 54% unfavorable (net -13).
• Kimmel opened his Oct. 6 monologue declaring he was "more popular than the president," using the poll to mock Trump’s attacks on his ratings.
• He read a White House statement attributed to spokesperson Anna Kelly that defended Trump’s electoral support and derided Kimmel’s ratings, ending with "Sad!"
• The polling flashpoint comes weeks after ABC briefly suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! over a monologue executives called "ill-timed and thus insensitive," before bringing the show back on air.
• Nielsen data reported more than six million viewers for Kimmel’s return episode on ABC, and coverage cited over 20 million views for his comeback monologue on YouTube.