Television Viewership Declines for Trump’s Second Inauguration
Television audiences for presidential inaugurations have fluctuated over the years, often reflecting public interest in the event. The recent inauguration of President Donald Trump drew a notably smaller television audience, with 24.6 million viewers tuning in, as reported by Nielsen. This marks the lowest viewership for a presidential swearing-in ceremony since Barack Obama’s second term in 2013.
Compared to previous inaugurations, the numbers reveal a significant drop. President Joe Biden’s 2021 inauguration attracted 33.8 million viewers, while Trump’s initial inauguration in 2017 had an audience of 30.6 million.
Historical data shows that inauguration viewership has been inconsistent. For instance, Ronald Reagan’s 1981 inauguration captured the attention of 41.8 million viewers, the highest recorded. In contrast, George W. Bush’s second inauguration in 2004 had the lowest, at 15.5 million viewers.
The extended coverage of Trump’s inauguration, spanning from 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Eastern, might have contributed to the lower average viewership number. In previous years, shorter coverage periods likely resulted in higher average numbers, as viewers tend to drift away over longer broadcasts. Nielsen did not provide an estimate for viewership up to 4 p.m. Eastern, the typical cutoff time for past inaugurations.
During the key moments of Trump’s inauguration, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Fox News Channel led in viewership, drawing 10.3 million viewers. In comparison, ABC attracted 4.7 million, NBC 4.4 million, CBS 4.1 million, CNN 1.7 million, and MSNBC 848,000. This marks a shift from four years ago when CNN and MSNBC together had 13.4 million viewers for Biden’s inauguration, compared to Fox News’ 2.4 million.
David Bauder writes about media for the AP. Follow him at http://x.com/dbauder and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social
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