Donald Trump inauguration: TV viewership drops to 24 mn, lowest since 2013

The viewership for Trump's inauguration was down from that of Biden's 2021 inauguration, which reached 33.8 million, and Trump's first move into the White House, which 30.6 million viewers saw in 2017

On January 20, US President Donald Trump took office for the second time. While the world awaited his arrival with bated breath, the number of television viewers who watched the swearing-in ceremony saw a sharp decline.

 

According to a Nielsen report, nearly 24.6 million television viewers watched Trump's inauguration ceremony, the smallest number since former President Barack Obama's second inauguration ceremony in 2013.

 

"The length of Trump's inauguration coverage may have hurt him in bragging rights. The 24.6 million figure represents the average number of people tuning in to coverage on one of 15 networks between 10:30 am and 7:30 pm EST," the report said.

 

 

The viewership for Trump's inauguration was down from that of ex-President Joe Biden's 2021 inauguration, which reached 33.8 million, and Trump's first move into the White House, which 30.6 million viewers saw in 2017.  Also Read: Trump team holds first meetings with Jaishankar, signals India top priority

 

Over the past half-century, the inauguration viewership in the US has varied widely, from hitting a high of 41.8 million when Ronald Reagan came into office in 1981 to a low of 15.5 million for the start of George Walker Bush's second term in 2004.

 

The report also mentions the television networks preferred by viewers for watching the inauguration ceremony. Fox News took the lead and had over 10 million viewers between 11:30 am and 1 pm, when Trump officially took office and gave his inaugural address.

 

During the same period, trailing behind Fox News was ABC with 4.7 million viewers, NBC with 4.4 million, CBS with 4.1 million, CNN with 1.7 million, and MSNBC with 8,48,000, the report stated.

 

It also mentions that four years ago, 13.4 million people watched Biden's inauguration on CNN and MSNBC, compared to only 2.4 million on Fox News.  (With agency inputs)