CNN and MSNBC Setting Generational Lows Following Trump's Win
On Tuesday, one week after Donald Trump's decisive victory over Kamala Harris, CNN and MSNBC posted their lowest-rated viewership in the advertiser age demographic of 25-54 in nearly a quarter of a century.
The day was CNN's lowest since June 27, 2000, per Puck News' Dylan Byers, and MSNBC's lowest since August 7, 2001.
Viewers have flocked from both channels since the end of the election. "The Rachel Maddow Show," the highest-rated show on either network, drew just 1.3 million viewers Monday – about a million viewers fewer than her October average. In the demo, Monday was Maddow's least-watched edition of the show since April 2022.
Since Election Day, MSNBC has averaged only 550,000 total-day viewers, a 39% decline from the network’s average in October. CNN hasn't fared much better, averaging 413,000 viewers since the election and a 43% decline in prime time.
Since Trump's victory, Fox News has averaged 2.2 million total day viewers, an increase of 38%, and 3.3 million prime-time viewers, an increase of 21%.
Now, no one wants to listen to sports talk radio after their team loses. The vast majority of CNN and MSNBC viewers voted for Kamala Harris. Pew Research found that only 9% and 3% of CNN and MSNBC's respective viewers identify as "Republican."
And given that both channels spent the past month likening Donald Trump to Hitler, we have to assume their viewers are right now either angry, depressed or hunkered down in the fetal position.
That said, there's reason to believe that neither network will rebound fully.
2022 MSNBC ELECTION COVERAGE -- 2022 Midterms Election Coverage -- Pictured: (l-r) Chris Hayes, Joy Reid, Rachel Maddow, Nicolle Wallace, Ari Melber in Studio 3A at Rockefeller Center on Tuesday, November 8, 2022 -- (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/MSNBC via Getty Images)
While CNN and MSNBC held up during his first administration (2016-2020), they benefited greatly from the Russia hoax, the first of two phony impeachments and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Sure, they could try to manufacture another hoax or pandemic, but the number of Americans who would believe them has shrunk considerably. Trust in the legacy media is at an all-time low and CNN and MSNBC are mostly to blame.
Just last week, election night quashed many of the narratives the channels had been spewing to their viewers. Women don't fear Donald Trump. Nor do black people or Latinos. Harris was not a lock to win the popular vote. And Iowa was not truly in play.
At some point, even Americans with Stage 4 TDS will come to realize that CNN and MSNBC are nothing more than gaslighting factories that operate on behalf of the Democratic Party. They are propaganda arms.
And their talents aren't that, well, talented.
Rachel Maddow is a skilled broadcaster—we admit that. She's a liar, but she's talented. Then there are the others.
Joy Reid is either a proud racist or pretends to be one on air. Laura Coates is cringe. Joe Scarborough is pompous, whiny, and talks like a eunuch. Chris Hayes is a dork. Brian Stelter? He is a stooge. Nicolle Wallace gives off major eccentric-lady-down-the-street vibes.
At least ESPN has some top-of-the-industry stars, like Pat McAfee, Stephen A. Smith, and Michael Wilbon. The lineups for CNN and MSNBC are embarrassing.
CNN and MSNBC haven't just peacked, they are in real trouble moving forward.
For more, I discussed the future of the media and the election results with Will Cain on his Fox News Digital show this week. Watch/listen here.