Political Communication
I surveyed a select group of working comedy professionals (N≅121)—writers, performers, and producers—about Trump's effect on their humor. Quantitative and qualitative results from 2021 and 2025 suggest that comedians are less likely than expected to target Trump despite their personal political preferences.
Humor plays a vital role in political communication, both reflecting trends in political opinion and shaping public discourse about politics. Political comedy surged during Donald Trump’s first presidency, with late-night monologues, sketch comedy, and satirical news programs amplifying both political reality and broader social conflict. This paper explores Trump’s unique influence on political comedy, relying on two elite-sample surveys with professional comedy writers, performers, and producers. Many working comedians responded to the first Trump presidency through their work, channeling their political attitudes into a marked increase in politically charged humor sustained by the marketplace. However, comedians report that Trump’s second presidency is inspiring them to withdraw from political humor for professional, artistic, and personal reasons. I discuss these results in broader terms, including the power of political humor and the importance of qualitative research.
Keywords: political comedy, political intent, Donald Trump, satire, sketch comedy
American Political Science Association 2025.