Oscars Poll: 66 Percent of Trump Voters Turn Off Awards Shows When Speeches Get Political

A THR and National Research Group survey reveals how Clinton voters and Trump voters view the Oscars differently.

And you thought Obamacare was a hot-button issue. According to a new THR poll, Americans are nearly as divided about the Oscars as they are about health care.

The survey — conducted by the National Research Group, which in early February canvassed 800 people (half Hillary Clinton voters, half Donald Trump voters) for their opinions about movies, award shows and politics — reveals that two-thirds of Trumpsters have turned off their TV sets because of an actor giving a political speech at the podium, compared to just 19 percent of Clinton voters.

Even if they don’t hit the off button, 44 percent of Trump voters find awards speeches “too political” while Clinton supporters want more politics at the Academy Awards; 43 percent say they want winners to reference Trump’s temperament in their speeches (compared to 8 percent of Trump voters), 39 percent would like more discussion of women’s rights at the Oscars (8 percent for Trump voters) and 34 percent would like more talk about Trump’s seven-nation travel ban (7 percent for Trump voters).

In general, 68 percent of Trump voters say they “dislike” political speeches at the Oscars while only 23 percent of Clinton voters feel the same. About the only area of agreement is that neither side finds Oscar acceptance speeches particularly convincing: Only about a quarter of respondents on both sides of the political fence said their opinion about an issue has ever been changed by an awards show.

A version of this story first appeared in the Feb. 24 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.