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.
Armed Citizens Stop Supermarket Shooter In Missouri
New Declassified Docs Give Tulsi Gabbard The Last Laugh On Ukrainian Biolabs
Obama Presidential Center’s $470M safety net under scrutiny as subcontractors say they’re owed millions
Trump picks James McDonald to lead powerful Southern District of New York after Jay Clayton’s departure
Texas GOP convention’s live elephant steals the show — for all the wrong reasons
Multiple people wounded in shooting at South Carolina’s largest mall, authorities detain suspects
Helicopter footage captures Florida man allegedly abandoning child during high-speed chase from deputies
Death threats from ‘TDS’ song show it’s ‘about the right thing’: Natasha Owens
Workers rip Trump name from Kennedy center facade months after it goes on, hours after failed appeal
US opens its home World Cup with a dynamic 4-1 victory over Paraguay, sparked by Balogun’s 2 goals
Lib Mayor Defends ‘Violence Intervention’ Activists After Yet Another Gets Arrested
Major Car Maker Issues Recall Over Engine Issue That Could Make Vehicle Stall
EXCLUSIVE: Collins pits record built in Maine potato fields against Platner’s ‘angry rhetoric’
Why This Tech Company Wants to Release 32 Million Mosquitos Into the US
Kennedy Center takes down Trump’s name: Photos
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.
Armed Citizens Stop Supermarket Shooter In Missouri
New Declassified Docs Give Tulsi Gabbard The Last Laugh On Ukrainian Biolabs
Obama Presidential Center’s $470M safety net under scrutiny as subcontractors say they’re owed millions
Trump picks James McDonald to lead powerful Southern District of New York after Jay Clayton’s departure
Texas GOP convention’s live elephant steals the show — for all the wrong reasons
Multiple people wounded in shooting at South Carolina’s largest mall, authorities detain suspects
Helicopter footage captures Florida man allegedly abandoning child during high-speed chase from deputies
Death threats from ‘TDS’ song show it’s ‘about the right thing’: Natasha Owens
Workers rip Trump name from Kennedy center facade months after it goes on, hours after failed appeal
US opens its home World Cup with a dynamic 4-1 victory over Paraguay, sparked by Balogun’s 2 goals
Lib Mayor Defends ‘Violence Intervention’ Activists After Yet Another Gets Arrested
Major Car Maker Issues Recall Over Engine Issue That Could Make Vehicle Stall
EXCLUSIVE: Collins pits record built in Maine potato fields against Platner’s ‘angry rhetoric’
Why This Tech Company Wants to Release 32 Million Mosquitos Into the US
Kennedy Center takes down Trump’s name: Photos
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.
