Overview
- Stephen Colbert, in Tuesday’s Late Show monologue, seized on a UMass/YouGov survey showing President Trump at 33% approval and asked the 22.4% who still “strongly approve,” “Who are you?” as his audience cheered then booed.
- The UMass/YouGov poll was taken after the Iran conflict escalated, with coverage noting a drop since mid-2025 and a high share of Americans who say they “strongly disapprove” at 47.2%.
- Coverage contrasted that result with a Fox News national poll conducted March 20–23 that found 41% approval, underscoring how timing and methods produce divergent snapshots.
- Colbert cited a Wall Street Journal report that Trump is willing to end the U.S. campaign in Iran even if the Strait of Hormuz stays largely closed, linking the standoff to higher gas prices that hit drivers’ wallets.
- A White House spokesperson, Davis Ingle, slammed Colbert in a comment to Fox News Digital and referenced CBS canceling his show, while right-leaning outlets spotlighted the higher Fox poll and left-leaning outlets amplified Colbert’s monologue, reflecting the partisan media split.