Wednesday’s highly anticipated public impeachment hearing amounted to a ratings flop, with only 13 million viewers tuning in, according to reports.
The hearing, which featured Bill Taylor, acting U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, and George Kent, a senior State Department official, was teased as a “bombshell, given House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff’s (D-CA) allocating Democrats more time to dominate and minimize GOP voices in the first hour. Nonetheless, Democrats failed to live up to the hype, as reflected in viewership.
According to Axios, Wednesday’s lackluster impeachment hearing drew just 13 million viewers. The number pales in comparison to those who viewed former FBI Director James Comey’s June 2017 testimony and Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s September 2018 hearing, which saw 19.5 million viewers and 20 million viewers, respectively.
Of the cable news networks, Fox News led the pack with 2.9 million viewers between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. EST, followed by MSNBC with 2.7 million, per Axios. CNN fell over one million viewers behind Fox News, attracting 1.8 million viewers. ABC edged out CBS, but both drew around two million viewers, followed by NBC with 1.7 viewers.
Slain college student’s mother vows ‘fight for justice’ after illegal immigrant charged in Chicago killing
What? Toronto’s Foreign-Born Mayor Warns ICE to Stay Out of City – Where It Has No Authority
Watch: ICE Agents Working at Airport Give Whining Leftist the Exact Response He Deserves
Gas thief creeps into learning center, drains van serving students with disabilities
Jeffries declines to break with indicted Democrat after ethics panel’s guilty verdict
Southwest pilot aborts Hollywood Burbank landing because runway ‘wasn’t quite clear’: report
Hegseth Slashes ‘Faith Codes’ in Move to Make Chaplains the Spiritual Backbone of the US Military
Father of slain 20-year-old killed by illegal immigrant issues stark warning after Sheridan Gorman killing
Education Department Abandons Headquarters as Agency Heads for Total Extinction
500 groups with $3B in revenues are behind the #NoKings protests and communist call for ‘revolution’
Trans Tide Is Turning: Idaho Criminalizes Trans Use of Incorrect Bathrooms in Private Businesses
JD Vance says he was ‘obsessed’ with UFOs, believes aliens are actually ‘demons’
Notice Anything With NBC’s Headline About Dem Rep Getting Found Guilty By House Ethics Committee?
Op-Ed: This Is Newsom’s Biggest Problem – He’s Shallow
Climate Change Reparations Melted by New Court Ruling in Deep Blue State
The numbers, however, do not reflect those who watched the debate on alternative platforms, as Axios noted.
The impeachment hearing left many Democrats feeling, privately, deflated. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) masterfully made a mockery of Schiff’s “star witness” by demonstrating Taylor’s stunning lack of knowledge:
The hearing forced impeachment-driven Democrats and establishment media outlets to tweak the narrative to focus on what they now claim is President Trump’s “attempted” crimes – bribery and extortion – despite a lack of basis for either accusation.
This exchange between Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) and Wednesday’s witnesses laid out the new narrative:
“So ambassadors, is attempted murder a crime?” he asked, repeating his question. “Is attempted murder a crime?”
“Attempted murder is a crime,” Taylor said.
“Is attempted robbery a crime?” he asked.
“Neither of us is a lawyer,” Taylor began before Castro interrupted.
“I think anyone in this room could answer that question,” he said.
“I’ll go out on a limb and say yes it is,” Taylor said.
“Is attempted extortion and bribery a crime?” Castro asked, trying to draw a parallel.
“I don’t know sir,” Taylor said.
Slain college student’s mother vows ‘fight for justice’ after illegal immigrant charged in Chicago killing
What? Toronto’s Foreign-Born Mayor Warns ICE to Stay Out of City – Where It Has No Authority
Watch: ICE Agents Working at Airport Give Whining Leftist the Exact Response He Deserves
Gas thief creeps into learning center, drains van serving students with disabilities
Jeffries declines to break with indicted Democrat after ethics panel’s guilty verdict
Southwest pilot aborts Hollywood Burbank landing because runway ‘wasn’t quite clear’: report
Hegseth Slashes ‘Faith Codes’ in Move to Make Chaplains the Spiritual Backbone of the US Military
Father of slain 20-year-old killed by illegal immigrant issues stark warning after Sheridan Gorman killing
Education Department Abandons Headquarters as Agency Heads for Total Extinction
500 groups with $3B in revenues are behind the #NoKings protests and communist call for ‘revolution’
Trans Tide Is Turning: Idaho Criminalizes Trans Use of Incorrect Bathrooms in Private Businesses
JD Vance says he was ‘obsessed’ with UFOs, believes aliens are actually ‘demons’
Notice Anything With NBC’s Headline About Dem Rep Getting Found Guilty By House Ethics Committee?
Op-Ed: This Is Newsom’s Biggest Problem – He’s Shallow
Climate Change Reparations Melted by New Court Ruling in Deep Blue State
The second round of public impeachment hearings, featuring former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, will air Friday at 9:00 a.m. EST.
Story cited here.
