Two out of every three Donald Trump voters turn off awards show when actors, singers and other entertainers start preaching politics, according to new data published by the Hollywood Reporter.
The National Research Group surveyed 800 people — half who voted for Hillary Clinton and half who pulled the lever for Donald Trump. The data revealed that 66 percent of Trump voters changed the channel whenever an actor began to lecture about politics, compared to just 19 percent of Clinton voters.
Another 44 percent of Trump voters said awards show speeches are “too political,” compared to Clinton backers who said they want more politics at the Academy Awards. About 39 percent of Clinton voters want to hear about women’s rights, while another 34 percent indicated they want to hear artists speak about Trump’s executive order temporarily suspending the United States’ refugee program.
More than two-thirds, or 68 percent, of Trump voters say they “dislike” political speeches at the Oscars, while just 23 percent of Clinton voters said they felt the same.
Interestingly, about 25 percent of Trump and Clinton voters stated that they don’t find politically-charged awards show speeches to be persuasive.
The survey also found that 79 percent of Clinton voters plan to watch this year’s Oscars, compared to just 66 of Trump voters.
Asked if Trump should be invited to this year’s Oscars, 62 percent of Trump voters said yes, while 84 percent of Clinton supporters said no.
Of the major awards shows so far this season, the Golden Globes, the Grammy Awards and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards all heavily featured politically-charged speeches, with most centering on opposition to President Trump and his policies.
The 89th Academy Awards airs Sunday, February 26 on ABC, with Jimmy Kimmel set to host.
Follow Jerome Hudson on Twitter @jeromeehudson
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