See Trump's approval rating after winning week for Trump-backed candidates

PresidentDonald Trumphas historicallylow approval ratings, but some of hisbacked candidates prevailedin primary elections around the country this week.

U.S.Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Kentucky, notably partnered with a Democrat to force a vote on the Epstein Files Transparency Act last year. Trump and his allies have campaigned against him, and opponentEd Gallrein, a farmer and former Navy SEAL, nabbed the spot to be theGOP nominee in Kentucky's 4th Congressional District. A similar result played out for incumbentSen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, who was overtaken in votes by Trump-endorsed candidate Rep. Julia Letlow.

Despite the wins for Trump's candidates within the GOP, Trump remains broadly unpopular, and some are worried it could makeRepublicans more vulnerablein the midterm elections.

What is Trump'sapproval rating? Here is what to know:

More:Trump knocked off another Republican. Could his strategy backfire in midterms?

What isDonald Trump's approval rating?

Trump'sapproval ratinghas been net negative for over a year and has been fluctuating but trending more negative over the last several months. Here is Trump's average approval rating on May 22, according to aggregators:

Advertisement

• New York Times: 38% approve, 58% disapprove

• Silver Bulletin: 38.4% approve, 58.5% disapprove

• RealClearPolitics Poll Average: 39.8% approve, 58.2% disapprove

Polls show Trump has low approval on the economy

Polls out this week show approval of Trump's handling of the economy is in decline.

In aQuinnipiac University pollconducted May 14 - 18 among 1,106 registered voters (margin of error is plus or minus 3.4 percentage points), 33% of respondents approve of the way Trump is handling the economy compared to 64% who disapprove. It's the lowest approval Trump has received on the issue across both terms, per the pollster.

Republicans are waning on their support for Trump's handling of the economy, according to anAssociated Press/NORC pollconducted May 14-18 among 1,117 U.S. adults. (The margin of error is plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.) Overall, 33% approve of his job on the economy compared to 67% who disapprove. Republicans give him a 63% approval on the economy, down from 78% at the beginning of Trump's second term.

Trump's approval rating overall was 37% in the AP/NORC poll and 34% in the Quinnipiac poll.

Contributing: Melina Khan, Zac Anderson, Phillip M. Bailey, USA TODAY

Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at KCrowley@usatodayco.com. Follow her onX (Twitter),Threads,BlueskyandTikTok.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Donald Trump approval rating low despite winning primary election week

byAdministrator

in

May 23, 2026

See Trump's approval rating after winning week for Trump-backed candidates

PresidentDonald Trumphas historicallylow approval ratings, but some of hisbacked candidates prevailedin primary elections around the co...

Read More

Explainer-Despite Trump's pressure, Cuba may not turn out like Venezuela

By Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON, May 23 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has been stepping up pressure on Communist-controlled Cuba, after using the military in January to remove Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

Here is why Cuba may not be Venezuela 2.0, even though Caracas had been a key supporter of the island's government.

WHO WOULD TAKE OVER?

In Venezuela, then-Vice President ‌Delcy Rodriguez took over as U.S. forces seized Maduro in a lightning raid on Jan. 3 and has served as acting president since.

Rodriguez was Maduro's deputy, but there is no similar ‌deputy to Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, or former President Raúl Castro, the 94-year-old former president the U.S. indicted this week in a bid to increase pressure on Havana.

"The security apparatus in Cuba has dismantled, systematically dismantled, every alternative or potentially alternative power ​source," said Orlando Pérez, an expert on U.S.-Latin America relations at the University of North Texas in Dallas.

Venezuela also has a popular opposition leader, Nobel laureate María Corina Machado, who won elections in 2024 but was not allowed to take power and hopes to return to her home country this year for free elections. Cuba has no similar figure.

Raúl Rodriguez Castro, grandson of the former president, met this month with CIA Director John Ratcliffe during a rare visit by a U.S. spy chief to Havana, fueling talk he might agree to work with Washington.

But the younger Castro has no formal position in the Cuban government and is not expected to betray ‌his family. He attended a rally in Havana on Friday to protest ⁠his grandfather's indictment.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS AND RISKS?

Cuba has been a U.S. antagonist for decades, since Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution. Trump is strongly supported by hardline Cuban-Americans in Florida, who have pushed for U.S.-instigated regime change for decades. The Republican U.S. president has made clear he wants to see change in their homeland.

In the ⁠past, Cuba was seen as a threatening Soviet satellite, an uncomfortably close 90 miles from Florida, and more recently as a potential site for Chinese influence in the Western Hemisphere. But Russia's attentions have shifted elsewhere since the fall of the Soviet bloc, and Cuba's economic problems have diminished its ability to confront the U.S.

Experts say instability in Cuba also threatens a migration crisis. Its people have been living largely without power due to the U.S. blockade ​and ​could opt to flee the island in case of war or chaos.

Advertisement

Cuba's military is more ideologically entrenched and cohesive ​than Venezuela's and more likely to put up a fight. Dozens of Cuban agents were ‌killed in Venezuela in January when they were providing security for Maduro, but survivors would have learned from that raid how U.S. forces operate.

Cuba is also seen as more advanced in surveillance and intelligence, especially after years of cooperation with Russia and China.

WHAT WOULD CUBA BRING TO THE U.S.?

Venezuela has natural resources, and U.S. companies have been lining up to produce oil in the South American country, which has seen exports jump.

Cuba does not have any similar resource. Its state-run tourism industry was behind other Caribbean destinations in price and quality even before this year's steep downturn, which has been exacerbated by shortages tied to Trump's "maximum pressure" campaign, a U.S. blockade and threats of tariffs for countries that provide it with fuel.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, an outspoken Cuba hawk who is also national security adviser, is seen as the ‌force behind the Trump administration's Cuban policy.

Rubio, a Florida native and the son of Cuban immigrants, has run for ​president before and is expected to seek the office again. A major change in Cuba could burnish his political ambitions, but ​a failure poses major risks at a time when the U.S. faces huge budget deficits ​and is already waging a campaign in Iran that has been estimated to cost billions of dollars per day.

WHAT ARE THE LEGAL ISSUES?

Washington's ability to change relations with ‌Cuba is limited by the 1996 Helms-Burton Act, which ties the lifting of ​a decades-long U.S. embargo to specific political change such ​as the creation of a democratically elected government.

Trump changed U.S. business relations with Venezuela by removing Maduro, leaving its government in place without even announcing plans for free elections.

In Cuba, he could not legally do so without a dramatic shift by Cuban officials, who have refused so far to cooperate.

Cuba's situation is more complicated because the country's economy lacks a private sector. It ​is dominated by Gaesa, a military conglomerate subject to U.S. sanctions that ‌controls most of the island's top hotels, largest port, top commercial bank and a vast array of supermarkets, gas stations and remittance businesses.

Washington also justified the Venezuela raid by saying ​Maduro's government was involved in "narcoterrorism." Cuban officials have not faced such charges, and in fact its government says it has been cooperating with the U.S. against drug trafficking.

(Reporting by ​Patricia Zengerle; additional reporting by Sarah Kinosian and Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Sergio Non and Sanjeev Miglani)

byAdministrator

in

May 23, 2026

Explainer-Despite Trump's pressure, Cuba may not turn out like Venezuela

By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON, May 23 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has been stepping up pressur...

Read More

Woman, 22, Says Men Match with Her on Dating Apps Just to Criticize Her Weight. Here’s How She Finally Clapped Back

A woman revealed that men match with her on dating apps just to tell her she should lose weight

NEED TO KNOW

• Libby Rose Martin said she finally clapped back after a guy sent her one particularly cruel message

• Martin hopes her experience reminds other women that online bullying “says more about them than it does about you"

A woman clapped back at a man who matched with her on adating appjust to tell her she needed to lose weight.

Libby Rose Martin said she joined an online dating app in 2025 in the hopes of finding romance — but she’s seen her fair share of body-shaming and bullying instead, per Kennedy News and Media.

"I've had so many people commenting on my body, I get so sick of it,” said Martin of Kent, England. "A couple times I've had other men match me purely to comment on my weight.”

"I've had quite a few guys slide into my DMs saying, 'I'll be your personal trainer' or a few guys saying, 'I don't know what you're doing on here. You're never going to get a boyfriend with the way you look.' It's the way of the world, unfortunately,” she added.

However, after one particularly egregious incident in which a guy matched with Martin, 22, only to write, “You sure can take in calories” and that he was a “hero” just trying to “motivate” her, Martindecided to clap back.

“Just because I’mplus sizedoesn’t mean I’m unhappy in my body,” the fashion designer wrote back.

“Don’t EVER believe that you are respecting women if it’s only the ones you’re attracted to,” she continued, adding that she had been battling an eating disorder for many years.

“Imagine someone said this to your mom, your sister or even your daughter one day, how would you feel?” she asked.

While the man responded with more insults, Martin said she wasproud she spoke up for herself.

"I wasn't even attracted to him and didn't want to give him a chance. What I wanted to do was take that opportunity to educate him,” she explained. “I can't believe someone would go that far as to match with me out of spite and a way to put me in my place.”

"I think he saw someone who seemed quite genuine and vulnerable and thought he'd use that to his advantage to shame me and assumed I wasn't going to clap back," she continued.

"He's on a dating app and we're both single but … why is he single? It's probably because he can't keep a relationship because he's so narrow-minded in his ideas,” Martin said, adding that the man ultimately blocked her.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Advertisement

“I think he was surprised I wrote that much and was insightful. I feel proud that I was able to put my point across,” she said. "My main point was to educate, and I feel good that I showed him he didn't get to me. He thinks I'm vulnerable, and I'm not."

Martin went on to say that while dating can be hard for everyone, it can be even harderfor plus-sized people.

"I feel like we're such a marginalized community,” she said.

Sign up forFrom the Editor, our free weekly newsletter from PEOPLE's Editor-in-Chief, Charlotte Triggs.

"Being plus-sized, I've been fetishized. I've had people say to me, ‘I'll have sex with you and do stuff with you, but I never want to be seen with you. I don't want anyone knowing that I'm seeing a big girl because it's embarrassing,’ ” she said.

"Skinny people do have the advantage and pretty privilege does exist. When I go out with my skinny friends, they get acknowledged by guys and I won't be,” Martin added.

The woman hopes her story helps remind other plus-sized women that bullying on dating apps says “more about them than it does about you.”

"You can choose to educate [the person] and you can choose to not. A lot of women will just hit the 'block' button and that's completely fine,” she said.

"They're single and probably single for that reason,” she added of the men.

Martin also hopes to remind others that happiness is not about a number on a scale.

"You're going to look back at your life and remember thatamazing trip you took, or that amazing summer you spent. You're not going to worry about you not [fitting] into a dress,” she said.

If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder,The Alliance for Eating Disordersprovides a fully-staffed helpline at 1-866-662-1235, as well as free, therapist-led support groups.

Read the original article onPeople

byAdministrator

in

May 23, 2026

Woman, 22, Says Men Match with Her on Dating Apps Just to Criticize Her Weight. Here’s How She Finally Clapped Back

A woman revealed that men match with her on dating apps just to tell her she should lose weight NEED TO KNOW Libby...

Read More

Grogu returns: What to know before new 'Mandalorian' movie

Grogu is back.

"The Mandalorian and Grogu,"the highly anticipated"Star Wars"film that picks up after the third season of "The Mandalorian," releases in theaters on Friday, May 22.

The film is set after the fall of the Galactic Empire in "Return of the Jedi," as the New Republic works to maintain peace. The New Republic enlists Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) to rescue Rotta the Hutt (Jeremy Allen White), who has been captured and plunged into the criminal underworld of the Outer Rim.

Ahead of its theatrical release, here's everything to know about"The Mandalorian and Grogu."

Review:'The Mandalorian and Grogu' makes 'Star Wars' weird again

When does 'The Mandalorian and Grogu' release?

"The Mandalorian and Grogu" hits theaters on Friday, May 22.

How long is 'The Mandalorian and Grogu'?

"The Mandalorian and Grogu" is two hours and 22 minutes.

Does 'The Mandalorian and Grogu' have a post-credits scene?

No, "The Mandalorian and Grogu" does not have a post-credits scene.

Advertisement

Should you see 'The Mandalorian and Grogu' in IMAX?

For audiences who enjoy a more immersive experience, "The Mandalorian and Grogu" is worth watching in IMAX.

When's the best time to take a bathroom break during 'The Mandalorian and Grogu'?

If you finished your fountain drink before the show started and need to use the restroom early, go when Mando, Grogu and Rotta the Hutt escape the gladiator arena. Later in the movie, it's a good time to step out when Mando is fighting a gigantic water monster.

What specialty popcorn buckets are available for 'The Mandalorian and Grogu'?

Naturally, there are several specialty popcorn buckets for the release of "The Mandalorian and Grogu." Here's a look at some:

• Clan of Two Bust Collectible Container: Mandalorian bust with Grogu featuring music from film and logo projector (Regal)

• AT-AT Collectible Popcorn Bucket: AT-AT featuring sound effects and light-up turrets (Regal and Cinemark)

• Mandalorian & Grogu Collectible Combo: Branded This Is the Way popcorn tin and cup with randomly chosen character drink topper (Regal and AMC)

• Grogu Pram popcorn vessel: Grogu inside his hover vessel (AMC)

• Mando Helmet popcorn bucket: Mandalorian helmet (AMC)

Do you need to watch 'The Mandalorian' series before the movie?

To enjoy "The Mandalorian and Grogu," viewersdon't need to watch the full television series.

Want to catch up? Here's how to watch 'The Mandalorian' series

All three seasons of "The Mandalorian" are available for streaming on Disney+ with a paid subscription.

Contributing: Brian Truitt and Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY

Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her atgcross@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:What to know before watching 'The Mandalorian and Grogu'

byAdministrator

in

May 22, 2026

Grogu returns: What to know before new 'Mandalorian' movie

Grogu is back. "The Mandalorian and Grogu,"the highly anticipated"Star Wars"film that picks up after the third...

Read More

Trump immunity from IRS audit shocks experts, who warn it could undermine trust in tax system

NEW YORK (AP) — Remember Donald Trump’s response in the 2016 presidential debate, when Hillary Clinton blasted him for paying virtually no federal taxes?

Deep-Sea Mining

“That makes me smart,” Trump said.

By that logic, Trump is looking smarter than ever now.

On Tuesday, the Internal Revenue Service agreed to drop all pending probes of Trump over whether he's paid his fair share of taxes, to settle alawsuitbrought by the president over a leak of his tax returns. That could include, assuming it was ongoing, along-standing audit into a techniqueTrump reportedly used to avoid paying taxes years ago that could have hit him with an estimated $100 million bill if the IRS found wrongdoing.

Trump has repeatedly denied he did anything wrong and has blasted the IRS investigation as politically motivated, without providing proof.

Details of IRS audits are not public and the merits of each side's arguments are impossible to tell. But the way the president's case against his own government's IRS was resolved is highly unusual, experts say.

Trump sued the IRS, a federal agency within his administration, putting him in the unusual position of challenging an agency overseen by the executive branch he leads — a rare move, experts say, and possibly unprecedented. Then that agency decided, in another unusual move, to grant him immunity.

The immunity deal

Under the settlement to resolve Trump’s $10 billionlawsuitover the2018 leak of his tax returns to The New York Times, the U.S. is “forever barred and precluded” from examining or prosecuting Trump, his sons and the Trump Organization's current tax filings, according to aone-page documentreleased Tuesday. That was quietly added toan original settlementestablishing a $1.8 billion fund to compensate people whom Trump thinks were improperly investigated by the government.

Tax experts say this grant of immunity is shocking in the breadth of protection it offers the president and could undermine confidence in the fairness of the tax system.

“This is an unprecedented remedy,” said former IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel, noting that Trump should be treated like every other American. “People expect the same tax rules and enforcement framework to apply to everybody.”

That $100 million bill

The IRS probe revolved around whether Trump doubled-dipped in cutting his taxes, according to a 2024 report by The New York Times and ProPublica — specifically whether he used the same losses from his Chicago skyscraper to cut them twice in future filings, a big no-no.

The report said Trump could owe more than $100 million, including penalties, if he were to lose the audit battle.

Now the Justice Department has moved to “wipe his slate clean,” said tax expert Brandon DeBot, calling that an “extraordinary action” in the message it sends to the country.

Advertisement

“The president and his affiliates might not pay the taxes they should,” said DeBot, policy director at New York University’s Tax Law Center. “This is giving the president and his affiliates completely different set of rules than everyday taxpayers.”

Cutting taxes to zero

The immunity is especially useful to Trump. His company includes hundreds of separate businesses, making his tax returns complicated. He also has a reputation for aggressively cutting his taxes, which some experts find suspicious — and at least in one case deemed now illegal.

After his Atlantic City casinos collapsed under heavy debt in the mid-1990s, for instance, Trump claimed about $1 billion in losses to cut his tax bill, even though lenders had forgiven hundreds of millions of dollars he owed. Trump argued the debt was never technically forgiven because he had exchanged equity in the bankrupt casino business for it — a tax maneuver Congress later barred as an abusive tax loophole.

Through that technique and other tax shelters and deductions, Trump was able pay just $750 in federal taxes in 2016 and 2017, and zero in 2020, according to acongressional investigationafter his first term.

How the IRS has treated other presidents

Despite hinting that he may now release his tax returns, Trump has previously refused to do so, saying he can't while undergoing an IRS audit — but there is no law barring him from doing that. In fact, presidents for decades have done so voluntarily and all have had their returns audited as a matter of IRS policy.

That policy began in the late 1970s in a post-Watergate crackdown on presidential abuses after Richard Nixon was found to have claimed dubious deductions — including a donation of his personal papers — that led to big underpayments. One year while president, he paid only hundreds of dollars.

When asked about his tax maneuvers, Nixon famously retorted, “I am not a crook.” He later agreed to the IRS findings, and paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in back taxes.

Court challenges

Trump's settlement with the IRS refers only to existing audits, not future examinations, so the president and his family are not off the hook for any alleged abuses in future tax returns.

Parts of the settlement are being challenged in court.

The compensation fund is being attacked by police officers who helped defend the U.S. Capitol from Trump’s supporters on Jan. 6, 2021. They have sued to block anyone — including the rioters — from receiving payouts.

Some law experts expect the tax immunity will be challenged in court, too.

“This is the president trying to play every role in the system, acting as plaintiff, defendant, and his own judge and jury to extract extraordinary windfalls,” said New York University's DeBot, adding that giving broad immunity “stretches beyond what DOJ actually has authority to do.”

Hussein reported from Washington.

byAdministrator

in

May 22, 2026

Trump immunity from IRS audit shocks experts, who warn it could undermine trust in tax system

NEW YORK (AP) — Remember Donald Trump’s response in the 2016 presidential debate, when Hillary Clinton blasted him for paying virtually...

Read More

'The Late Show' is over. Stephen Colbert isn't done.

What willStephen Colbert's legacy be?

The story of the quintessentially American comedian did not end on May 21, in spite of the funerary pomp and circumstance surroundingthe finale episode of "The Late Show" on CBS, which Colbert has hosted since 2015. There are miles yet before the 62-year-old Colbert sleeps,even if this act of his career has come to a close. It's already his second or third act to date, depending on how you count.

But inthe long story of Stephen Colbertthere will be an incendiary chapter aboutthis moment in cultural history,which started almost a year ago when he announced CBS had canceled "Late Show" and thus his daily tenure on our screens. That move threw an industry into confusion, drew both political backlash and celebration and has resulted in a monthlong last hurrah fromColbert and his many friendsthat has the country's zeitgeist on tenterhooks like it's the series finale of "Game of Thrones."

Colbert stepped out on the stage for his May 21 finale bearing the weight of a divided nation, tongue-wagging internet haters andpresidents former (Barack Obama) on his couchand current (Donald Trump) tweeting down his neck. He managed the finale with aplomb, ever the showman and professional.

The comedian started with ashort farewell acknowledging his crew, followed by a pretty typical monologue poking at the regular news (like sinkholes at airports) and his own news (even dolphins know he got canceled). He pivoted to his hyperactive regular segment "Meanwhile," which contained no less than one attempt to get CBS sued, two celebrity interruptions and one cackle-worthy sushi joke.

The final "Late Show" guest wasn't actually Pope Leo XIV as jokingly teased, butBeatles legend Paul McCartney, a major part of the history ofNew York's Ed Sullivan Theaterwhere "The Late Show" has taped for 34 years. Other hosts may have used an icon like McCartney to further shine the spotlights on themselves, but Colbert chatted with McCartney like it was any other night. The musician talked about his new album, his childhood and reminisced about performing on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in 1964, where he got his first impressions of America, the great democracy. McCartney told Colbert he hopes that the country will remain so.

There were bits about CBS and equal time. There were spit takes and more celebrity cameos than you could count. There was a wormhole. Colbert quoted his great literary love, "The Lord of the Rings." Former bandleader Jon Batiste returned to sing alongside Colbert (and current bandleader Louis Cato and Elvis Costello). There was great joy, which Colbert spoke about championing everyday with his crew and colleagues.

Advertisement

And mostly there was Colbert, with his awkward, goofy, endearing self. His brand of comedy – from his early career with improv group Second City and his "Daily Show" correspondent days to getting his own show "The Colbert Report" to a decade on network TV – was never about charm or fluff or flash.

Colbert's strength has always been his point of view, cutting satire, geekiness and heart. Anyone watching could feel the emotion radiating from the host all night, even as he pretended to be sucked into the abyss.

It was a silly, funny and affecting episode of television. By the time Colbert was singing "Hello, Goodbye" with McCartney, Costello, Cato and Batiste, he didn't need to say anything else.

You shouldn't expect anything less than confidence and grace from Colbert. He's the man who stayed in character as a conservative blowhard for over a decade, who made "Strangers with Candy" one of the weirdest and most-fun comedy shows on TV, and who told off yet another president (George W. Bush) to his face at Washington, D.C.'s biggest fête.

So no, Stephen Colbert is not done. "The Late Show" is done. Late-night TV might be done soon. But voices like Colbert don't disappear into the wind without a shiny wooden desk in front of them and a broadcast company behind them.

This chapter is over. Another one begins.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:'The Late Show' finale proves Stephen Colbert isn't done

byAdministrator

in

May 22, 2026

'The Late Show' is over. Stephen Colbert isn't done.

What willStephen Colbert's legacy be? The story of the quintessentially American comedian did not end on May 21, in spite of t...

Read More

How Much Money Does the “Survivor ”Winner“ ”Get? Inside Season 50's Record-Breaking Prize

Survivor season 50 ended on May 20

NEED TO KNOW

• For only the second time in 50 seasons, the winner won $2 million

• Losing players didn't go home empty-handed, though; they also won prize money depending on their performance

Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fanshas already broken many of the show's barriers, and the final prize is no different.

For only the second time inSurvivorhistory, the show introduced a $2 million prize for the winner of the historic season — doubling the traditional $1 million that's been given out for 48 of the last 49 seasons.

The pot increased after internet personalityMrBeast surprised the contestantsand revealed that they could double the reward if they flipped a coin the right way. Luckily, Rick Devens had fate on his side, as he correctly tossed up the coin to score a $2 million total prize pot.

In addition to the $2 million for the winner, the show also announced that the$100,000 Fan Favorite vote, nicknamed the Sia Prize, returnedand is “in the hands of the fans.”

While only one person gets to take home the grand prize at the end of each season, the remainder of the contestants reportedly also receive some amount of money depending on how well they did in the competition.

"I think people are always surprised to learn that we do earn money,” Corinne Kaplan, who played on seasons 17 and 26, said in a September 2021 episode of theTrading Secretspodcast. “The same pot of money exists no matter how many players there are.” CBS did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

So, how much money have the past winners and contestants onSurvivorwon? Here's everything to know about what theSurvivorwinner gets.

What does the winner ofSurvivorget?

Ever sinceSurvivorpremiered in 2000, the contestants have competed to win the grand prize and the title of Sole Survivor. For 48 seasons, the prize was $1 million but in 2020 and 2026, the pot increased to $2 million.

However, the winner doesn't get to pocket the entire prize, since thousands of dollars have to go to federal and state taxes. The total amount of money a winner receives depends on their state's income taxes.

It's crucial that the winner pay the taxes, as season 1 winner Richard Hatch spent nearly three years in federal prison for not paying up. He told PEOPLE in April 2023 that legal fees and missed work "more than wiped out the money."

HasSurvivorever increased the prize fund?

The $1 million prize fund has mostly stayed the same since season 1 in 2000.

However, the CBS show doubled the jackpot to $2 million twice: once to celebrate the 40th season,Survivor: Winners at War, in 2020, and again to celebrate the 50th season. The former season featured 20 winners from past seasons ofSurvivorto compete for the highest prize fund in history.Tony Vlachoswas named the winner.

"The $2 million prize was all CBS," hostJeff ProbsttoldEntertainment Weeklyin January 2020. "The truth is, Kelly Kahl is the guy at CBS who back in season 2 movedSurvivorto go up againstFriends. And we beatFriendsin the ratings and his career was really made in that moment."

Probst continued, "He's been invested inSurvivorforever. And he has given us free rein to do what we want for a long time. And this season he said, 'Can you try to make winners happen? And can we give them a $2 million prize?' "

In 2026, MrBeast helped raise the pot to $2 million.

How much do the second and third-place finishers get?

Even though they didn't snag the title of Sole Survivor, contestants who get second and third place also walk away with a significant amount of money.

Advertisement

The runner-up receives $100,000 and the third place finisher gets $85,000, according toToday. Kaplan confirmed the prize amounts during a 2021 appearance on theTrading Secretspodcast.

Do allSurvivorcontestants get paid?

Every contestant who has appeared onSurvivorhas reportedly been paid some amount of money for their time.

Kaplan claimed during herTrading Secretspodcast appearance that the amount of money a contestant wins depends on how they placed and how many people are competing on a certain season.

According to Kaplan, "the same pot of money exists no matter how many players there are." So if there are more contestants in a season, then each person gets less money. The sooner the contestants get eliminated, the less money they take home. (Season 50 featured thelargest group of contestantsever at 24.)

"So, what happens is, roughly, the first person voted out makes like $2,500, [and] it goes up very incrementally," Kaplan claimed. "Those people only make a few thousand, and there's a couple hundred [dollars] difference between them."

However, once there are enough people eliminated and people qualify to be members of the jury, their payout "starts going up by $10K," according to Kaplan.

"It works backwards," she said, claiming that each person on the jury makes $10,000 less than the contestant who made it one place ahead of them (excluding the winner).

Do contestants get paid to appear on the live reunion?

For several years,Survivorheld alive reunionafter the season finale. The special episode was paused ahead of season 40 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and resumed forSurvivor50.

When the live reunion was in its heyday, it was another opportunity for every contestant to take home more money. Kaplan claimed that regardless of where a contestant finished in the season, everyone was offered $10,000 to participate in the reunion.

Kaplan claimed, "The reason that that ticket is so high is because most people, if they were wronged on the show or whatever, if there wasn’t a big ticket attached to it, you might just be like. 'F--- it I’m not going,' so they make that very high."

What is the Sia Prize?

Like manySurvivorfans, singerSiahasn't always been thrilled by who won the reality TV show. The superfan decided to take matters into her own hands in 2016 when she gaveTai Trang$50,000 of her own money after he didn’t win season 32. She then decided to continue giving money to her favorite contestants, nicknaming the award the “Sia Prize.”

The award continued for eight years and 14 seasons, during which time she gave a total sum of over $1 million to her favorite contestants. However, Probst announced in 2024 that theSia Prize would endafter season 46.

"After eight years, 14 seasons, 19 players and over $1,000,000 awarded, Survivor is officially bringing the Sia Prize to a triumphant end!” he posted on his Instagram Stories in May 2024. “So it is with tremendous gratitude and admiration to Sia that we bring to a close one of the most unique relationships a TV show could ever have with a pop star of Sia’s global wattage.”

Among the special Sia Prize winners included seven players to whom she gave $100,000 — including Rick Devens (season 38), Elaine Stott (39), Janet Carbin (39), Drea Wheeler (42), Jesse Lopez (43),Carolyn Wiger (44)and Katurah Topps (45).

The other 11 contestants who won the coveted money were Donathan Hurley (36), Davie Rickenbacker (37), Aurora McCreary (38), Joe Anglim (38), Jamal Shipman (39), Owen Knight (43), Ryan Medrano (43), Lauren Harpe (44), Carson Garrett (44), Jake O’ Kane (45) and Kaleb Gebrewold (45).

Sia brought the prize back forSurvivor 50, promising to give whomever won a fan vote for favorite player $100,000, perVariety.

Read the original article onPeople

byAdministrator

in

May 21, 2026

How Much Money Does the “Survivor ”Winner“ ”Get? Inside Season 50's Record-Breaking Prize

Survivor season 50 ended on May 20 NEED TO KNOW For only the second time in 50 seasons, the winner won $2 million...

Read More