In a political climate defined by deep divisions and sinking public trust, a new survey suggests that only a couple of figures still manage to earn a favorable review among Americans. One of them is a religious leader. The other is a late-night comedian.
A new NBC News poll tested the favorability of 14 public figures and institutions across American life, offering a revealing snapshot of what Americans think about those in the news. Only two of the options happened to emerge with a positive net favorability rating: Pope Leo XIV and Stephen Colbert.
The pope finished comfortably in first place. According to the poll, Pope Leo XIV holds an impressive +34 net favorability rating, with 42 percent of registered voters viewing him positively and only eight percent negatively.
Colbert came in second with a +10 rating, making him the only media or entertainment figure to land on the positive side. After that, the numbers quickly spiral downward.
Figures that regularly feature in Colbert’s nightly Late Show monologues got crushed by the late-night host. President Donald Trump posts a -12 rating, while Vice President JD Vance comes in at -11. Meanwhile. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) landed at a brutal -18 net rating, with nearly half of voters reporting a very negative view.
The takeaway for late-night television fans? The host delivering nightly punchlines about these figures is significantly more popular than many of the people and institutions he critiques (or come after Colbert).
That popularity arrives at an interesting moment in Colbert’s career. Despite his standing as one of the most broadly liked personalities in the media landscape, Colbert will soon be out of a job as The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is approaching its end. Parent company CBS has announced plans to bring the long-running franchise to a close, citing costs. Others argued Colbert's ratings didn't warrant a renewal. But this new poll suggests the comedian always had, and always will have, an audience.
Colbert’s ability to remain broadly likable despite delivering political commentary may stem from the tone he has struck over the years. His satire can be sharp, but it is often comes with a sense of morality that separates him from some of his late-night peers. While he relentlessly targets political figures like Trump and Vance, the humor rarely feels purely mean-spirited or nasty for the sake of it.
Could Pope Leo visit The Late Show with Stephen Colbert?
Stephen Colbert is openly Catholic and has frequently spoken about how religion informs both his worldview and his comedy. Over the years on The Late Show, Colbert has woven discussions of faith, morality, and humility into interviews and monologues.
With both Colbert and Pope Leo XIV standing alone in positive territory when it comes to popularity, the pairing almost feels too perfect to ignore. A visit from the pope in the final days of The Late Show would be a dream scenario for Colbert and, apparently, a ratings frenzy.