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.
Alexei Navalny’s widow demands ‘accountability’ for Putin after European leaders say husband was poisoned
ICE ramps up deportation push by boosting capacity to 92,600 beds with $38.3B expansion
A $10 Walmart gun holster could help identify suspect in Nancy Guthrie case
Casey Wasserman to sell his talent agency after becoming ‘distraction’ due to Epstein files
Fetterman slams Democrats’ ‘Jim Crow 2.0’ voter ID rhetoric as party unity fractures
ICE officers face criminal probe for alleged ‘untruthful statements’ under oath about Minneapolis shooting
Trump trounces Biden energy records in just months as admin celebrates 1 year of ‘historic gains’: data
Heroic 12-Year-Old Tried to Save Classmates from Trans Mass Shooter: She’s in Critical Condition
Collins boosts Republican voter ID effort, but won’t scrap filibuster
Zelensky offers to ‘give a ceasefire to the Russians if they do elections’ in Munich plea
CNN’s Data Guru Reveals How the Far-Left Is Devouring Democratic Party
Microsoft AI Chief Says Artificial Intelligence Will Do Most White-Collar Work by Next Year
Cities Church Defendant Who Likes Terrorizing Christian Children Launches Bizarre Message Outside Courtroom
Convicted Squatter’s Lawyer Freezes, Asks to ‘Cut’ When Pressed to Defend Client
Fact Check: Did a MAGA Dad Murder His Liberal Daughter After an Argument About Trump? Sick Leftists Will Be Disappointed with the Facts
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.
Alexei Navalny’s widow demands ‘accountability’ for Putin after European leaders say husband was poisoned
ICE ramps up deportation push by boosting capacity to 92,600 beds with $38.3B expansion
A $10 Walmart gun holster could help identify suspect in Nancy Guthrie case
Casey Wasserman to sell his talent agency after becoming ‘distraction’ due to Epstein files
Fetterman slams Democrats’ ‘Jim Crow 2.0’ voter ID rhetoric as party unity fractures
ICE officers face criminal probe for alleged ‘untruthful statements’ under oath about Minneapolis shooting
Trump trounces Biden energy records in just months as admin celebrates 1 year of ‘historic gains’: data
Heroic 12-Year-Old Tried to Save Classmates from Trans Mass Shooter: She’s in Critical Condition
Collins boosts Republican voter ID effort, but won’t scrap filibuster
Zelensky offers to ‘give a ceasefire to the Russians if they do elections’ in Munich plea
CNN’s Data Guru Reveals How the Far-Left Is Devouring Democratic Party
Microsoft AI Chief Says Artificial Intelligence Will Do Most White-Collar Work by Next Year
Cities Church Defendant Who Likes Terrorizing Christian Children Launches Bizarre Message Outside Courtroom
Convicted Squatter’s Lawyer Freezes, Asks to ‘Cut’ When Pressed to Defend Client
Fact Check: Did a MAGA Dad Murder His Liberal Daughter After an Argument About Trump? Sick Leftists Will Be Disappointed with the Facts
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.
