13 million viewers tune in for the first Republican Presidential Debate.
The First Republican Presidential Debate Draws 13 Million Viewers
The first Republican presidential debate, hosted by Fox News in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, attracted an impressive 13 million viewers. This number is particularly noteworthy considering President Donald Trump’s decision to boycott the event.
The debate featured a lineup of eight presidential hopefuls, including notable figures such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former Vice President Mike Pence, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson.
According to data from Nielsen Media Research, the debate outperformed more than 70 percent of debates in recent presidential cycles, making it a significant success.
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Out of the 13 million viewers, approximately 2.8 million fell within the coveted 25 to 54 age range. Fox News reported that the debate became the highest-rated non-sports cable telecast of the year in terms of total viewers, surpassing the previous record set by Paramount’s “Yellowstone,” which attracted 11.1 million viewers, including 2.4 million in the 25 to 54 age group.
In addition, the debate’s viewership surpassed the combined viewership of ABC, CBS, and NBC broadcasts during the same time slot.
Notably absent from the event was President Trump, the clear frontrunner among Republican candidates. Despite qualifying for the debate, he chose to boycott it, a decision reminiscent of his strategy during the final GOP debate in Iowa back in 2016. Ultimately, Trump’s nomination bid was successful, although he narrowly lost the Iowa caucuses to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas).
While the debate was taking place, former cable news superstar Tucker Carlson, who recently parted ways with Fox News, conducted an interview with President Trump. The interview covered controversial topics such as Jeffrey Epstein, the possibility of civil war, and the risk of assassination.
As of now, the interview has been seen by over 241 million people, according to data from X. However, it’s important to note that on X, a video must occupy at least half of the screen and play for a few seconds to be counted as a view. Therefore, it’s challenging to compare the interview’s views with those of the debate.
In President Trump’s absence, several contenders stood out during the debate, particularly Vivek Ramaswamy, an underdog and staunch defender of Trump. Despite facing attacks on his age and lack of political experience from Nikki Haley, Chris Christie, and Mike Pence, Ramaswamy has seen a rise in polling numbers in recent weeks.
According to Google Trends, Ramaswamy has generated significant internet interest following the debate, second only to President Trump. Additionally, Haley has outperformed Ron DeSantis in terms of online attention since the event.
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