Why are we not surprised?
According to a Media Research Center study, late-night television hosts overwhelmingly directed their jokes at the United States and its allies during the first week of the Iran war.
The study reviewed 20 episodes of major late-night programs aired between March 2 and March 5, including Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on CBS, The Daily Show on Comedy Central, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on NBC.
Researchers found that 235 out of 250 war-related jokes — or 94 percent — targeted the United States and its allies, while only 15 jokes focused on Iran.
For the purposes of the study, analysts defined “allies” as countries participating in military action alongside the United States — including Israel and Arab states taking defensive action against Iranian attacks.
The report defined a “war-related joke” broadly, including jokes about military operations, political commentary surrounding the conflict, past statements by administration officials about war, and speculation about Iran’s political future.
The United States was the most frequent punchline, accounting for 229 jokes.
Among individuals, President Donald Trump was the most joked-about figure with 152 jokes, followed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth with 23.
Other frequent targets included Sen. Markwayne Mullin (14 jokes), Congressional Republicans (7), and Sen. Lindsey Graham (6).
Host-by-host breakdowns showed similar patterns across the late-night landscape.
Seth Meyers delivered the highest number of jokes about the United States at 52, and every single war-related joke in his sample targeted the American side.
Jimmy Fallon aimed 36 of his 37 jokes — 97 percent — at the U.S., while Jimmy Kimmel directed 51 of 53 jokes, or 96 percent, at America or its allies.
Stephen Colbert told 43 of his 48 jokes (90 percent) about the allied side of the conflict.
Meanwhile, Jon Stewart and Michael Kosta on The Daily Show combined to tell 53 of 60 jokes — or 88 percent — about the U.S. and its partners.
The findings add fuel to a long-running debate over whether late-night comedy leans heavily toward mocking American political leaders while largely avoiding jokes about U.S. adversaries.
94% of Late Night's jokes about the war in Iran mocked the United States and our allies.
Enjoy Late Night's hilarious jokes about the war in Iran.
Nah, just kidding, these "comedians" are anything but funny. pic.twitter.com/buo1hDnYmQ
— MRC NewsBusters (@newsbusters) March 9, 2026