Tuesday's State of the Union extravaganza drew the smallest audience of Trump's presidency, Nielsen says
"President Trump put a Celebrity Apprentice spin on his State of the Union address on Tuesday, seeding the 78-minute broadcast with surprise reveals and viral moments," The New York Times said Wednesday night. "It was the kind of camera-ready spectacle that can translate into big ratings for afternoon talk-show hosts and prime-time reality shows. This time, though, the Nielsen numbers did not come through."
This week's State of the Union was watched live on TV by about 37.2 million Americans, 10 million fewer than Trump's 2017 speech and a 20 percent drop from his 2018 and 2019 State of the Union addresses, Nielsen reported. It wasn't all bad news for Trump: Slightly more people watched this year than last on Fox News, the president's TV base, and the numbers don't include people watching on C-SPAN or streaming online. But overall, people appear exhausted with watching politics.
Last fall, the Times notes, Pew found that 66 percent of Americans say they are "worn out by the amount of news these days," and that was months ago. The State of the Union was Tuesday's "most social telecast of the day," Nielsen said, prompting 14.1 million interactions on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi won the internet, as they say, as the social interactions peaked right after she tore up Trump's speech at 10:31 p.m.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
'Republicans want to silence Israel's opponents'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Poland, Germany nab alleged anti-Ukraine spies
Speed Read A man was arrested over a supposed Russian plot to kill Ukrainian President Zelenskyy
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Today's political cartoons - April 19, 2024
Cartoons Friday's cartoons - priority delivery, USPS on fire, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Empty-nest boomers aren't selling their big homes
Speed Read Most Americans 60 and older do not intend to move, according to a recent survey
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Brazil accuses Musk of 'disinformation campaign'
Speed Read A Brazilian Supreme Court judge has opened an inquiry into Elon Musk and X
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Disney board fends off Peltz infiltration bid
Speed Read Disney CEO Bob Iger has defeated activist investor Nelson Peltz in a contentious proxy battle
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Disney and DeSantis reach detente
Speed Read The Florida governor and Disney settle a yearslong litigation over control of the tourism district
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Visa and Mastercard agree to lower swipe fees
Speed Read The companies will cap the fees they charge businesses when customers use their credit cards
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Reddit IPO values social media site at $6.4 billion
Speed Read The company makes its public debut on the New York Stock Exchange
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Housing costs: the root of US economic malaise?
speed read Many voters are troubled by the housing affordability crisis
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Feds cap credit card late fees at $8
speed read The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finalized a rule to save households an estimated $10 billion a year
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published