Producers at "Jeopardy!" are reportedly worried Katie Couric's recent remarks about Donald Trump and his supporters will turn off the show's largely conservative audience.
The former "Today" host — who's set to take over as a guest presenter on the trivia show in the wake of Alex Trebek's death — joined Bill Maher for a discussion about Donald Trump's legacy on the Jan. 15 edition of "Real Time."
During her appearance, Couric expressed frustration with congressional Republicans whom she said seem to be "believing the garbage that they are being fed 24/7 on the internet, by their constituents, and they bought into this big lie."
Couric added, "And the question is how are we going to really almost deprogram these people who have signed up for the cult of Trump."
She also expressed support for the outgoing president's second impeachment as well as his ban from Twitter, both of which came as Trump's comments at a MAGA rally were tied to the violent insurrection his supporters staged at the U.S. Capitol.
Speaking to Page Six in a report published late on Friday, Jan. 22, a "TV insider" said the veteran journalist's comments "immediately worried" "Jeopardy!" producers.
That's apparently because the show's demographic is older — the median age of its viewers is 64.2 — and "very conservative," according to the source.
"And the show has always steered clear of politics," the insider continued, noting that producers are concerned about the timing of her comments, which could spark "a backlash against her" from its key viewers.
"'Jeopardy!' viewers are quite a traditional bunch, and there's fears she might be too polarizing after this," the source said. "At the very least, she already appears to have ruled herself out of becoming the permanent host of the show."
Couric's comments have already come under fire from conservative pundits including Fox News contributor Joe Concha.
A second insider suggested similar concerns likely influenced the apology Ken Jennings gave in December for anti-Trump tweets he posted years earlier. That mea culpa came less than a month before he guest hosted the show.
"Katie will be under huge pressure to apologize also," the source predicted.
Alex Trebek, who died in November following a battle with pancreatic cancer, pre-taped a handful of "Jeopardy!" episodes shortly before his death. The final one aired on Jan. 8.
Couric will be the first woman to ever host the show. Actress Mayim Bialik and NFL star Aaron Rodgers are also on tap to serve as upcoming guest hosts.