It looks like Election Night wasn’t just a win for Donald Trump—it was a ratings disaster for MSNBC and CNN. As the dust settled after Trump’s landslide victory over Kamala Harris, the liberal news networks seemed to go down with the ship.
According to Nielsen, by Thursday, MSNBC’s full-day viewership had collapsed to around 596,000, with only 71,000 viewers in the 25-54 age bracket. CNN fared even worse, pulling in 419,000 total viewers and just 91,000 from that key demographic. For two networks that usually thrive on “breaking news” and primetime coverage, these numbers are more than just low; they’re embarrassing.
And then there’s Fox News. The network dominated the airwaves with wall-to-wall coverage of Trump’s victory, pulling in a whopping 2.6 million viewers on Thursday alone, with 375,000 from the 25-54 demographic. Compared to a year ago, Fox’s viewership is up more than 60 percent—proof that conservative viewers are flocking to a network they trust, especially when the news doesn’t go the way liberal networks want it to.
MSNBC managed a small win over CNN on Election Night, drawing in slightly more viewers during the core 8-11 p.m. slot for the first time ever. But here’s the kicker: both networks’ combined audience still didn’t come close to Fox News, which pulled in an enormous 10.3 million viewers during those same primetime hours.
So, even as MSNBC squeaked out a symbolic victory over CNN, it’s clear Fox News was the real powerhouse in the ratings game. In fact, compared to their viewership in 2020, CNN’s primetime audience was basically cut in half—from 9.6 million down to 5.1 million.
MSNBC ratings collapse:
Joy Reid – down 54.6%
Ari Melber – down 49.6%
Chris Hayes – down 47.2%
Alex Wagner – down 53.6%
Morning Joe – down 39.6%
Stephanie Ruhle – down 67%
Andrea Mitchell – down 39.7%— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) November 12, 2024
Meanwhile, the “Big Three” traditional networks—ABC, NBC, and CBS—also took hits. ABC’s audience was down 6 percent from the 2020 election, NBC’s by 5 percent, and CBS saw the steepest decline, dropping 20 percent. It’s as if Americans are signaling that they’re done with the same old storylines and talking points these networks love to push.
It’s not hard to figure out what’s happening here. Viewers are increasingly tuning into networks that reflect their values and don’t insult their intelligence. After a major Republican win, the steep drop in CNN and MSNBC’s viewership seems to send a loud message: viewers are tired of the networks’ obvious bias and selective reporting. Many people don’t see these networks as trustworthy sources of news anymore; they see them as echo chambers pushing a specific agenda.
The Trump resistance is already over. MSNBC and CNN’s viewership tanked after Trump’s big win as Fox News viewership has soared. https://t.co/3A92b3lrFa
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) November 11, 2024
Fox News’ continuing dominance in the ratings is a sign of where the momentum is shifting. Americans are voting with their remotes, and right now, they’re choosing a network that they feel aligns with their worldview and tells it like it is.
For the liberal networks, the message is clear: people are looking for news, not just spin. But if they don’t change their tune soon, they may be left with nothing but their dwindling fan base—and even that seems to be shrinking fast.
