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.
How US troops celebrate Christmas abroad
Pictures: You Might Have Missed the Brand New Trump Portrait That Came With the WH Christmas Directions
Notorious Raccoon That Raided Liquor Store Makes Headlines Again – It Turns Out He’s a Serial Offender
Scavenger hunts, Christmas mass, Cajun-fried turkey: Capitol Hill’s favorite holiday traditions
Nearly 20 states sue HHS over declaration to restrict gender transition treatment for minors
Watch: Thieves drag ATM through Texas convenience store in Christmas Eve theft attempt
Trump takes NORAD Santa calls with children, praises ‘clean, beautiful coal’ and ‘high-IQ’ person
ICE agents open fire on van driver who allegedly tried to run them over on Christmas Eve
Virginia family alleges bed bugs bit them during transatlantic flight, suing Delta and KLM airlines
Activists tied to LA bombing plot indicted on terrorism charges
DOJ discovers more than 1M potential Epstein records, further delaying file release
Post-Christmas Disaster: How 26 Million Pounds of Molasses Killed or Injured 170 in the Streets of Boston in 1919
Pentagon to send 350 National Guard troops to New Orleans as violent crime surges ahead of major events
Alito rips Supreme Court majority as ‘unwise’ for blocking Trump’s National Guard plan
Greta Thunberg Arrested After Caught Supporting Literal Anti-Jewish Terrorist Org – This Is the Kid the Left Platformed as a God for Years
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.
How US troops celebrate Christmas abroad
Pictures: You Might Have Missed the Brand New Trump Portrait That Came With the WH Christmas Directions
Notorious Raccoon That Raided Liquor Store Makes Headlines Again – It Turns Out He’s a Serial Offender
Scavenger hunts, Christmas mass, Cajun-fried turkey: Capitol Hill’s favorite holiday traditions
Nearly 20 states sue HHS over declaration to restrict gender transition treatment for minors
Watch: Thieves drag ATM through Texas convenience store in Christmas Eve theft attempt
Trump takes NORAD Santa calls with children, praises ‘clean, beautiful coal’ and ‘high-IQ’ person
ICE agents open fire on van driver who allegedly tried to run them over on Christmas Eve
Virginia family alleges bed bugs bit them during transatlantic flight, suing Delta and KLM airlines
Activists tied to LA bombing plot indicted on terrorism charges
DOJ discovers more than 1M potential Epstein records, further delaying file release
Post-Christmas Disaster: How 26 Million Pounds of Molasses Killed or Injured 170 in the Streets of Boston in 1919
Pentagon to send 350 National Guard troops to New Orleans as violent crime surges ahead of major events
Alito rips Supreme Court majority as ‘unwise’ for blocking Trump’s National Guard plan
Greta Thunberg Arrested After Caught Supporting Literal Anti-Jewish Terrorist Org – This Is the Kid the Left Platformed as a God for Years
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.
