In a televised address to Congress on Tuesday night, former President Donald Trump captured the attention of approximately 36.6 million TV viewers, according to data from the Nielsen company.
This audience size surpassed the 32.2 million viewers who tuned in to watch then-President Joe Biden deliver his last State of the Union address the previous year. Nonetheless, the viewership for Trump’s recent speech fell short compared to the audience numbers he attracted during similar addresses in his first term in office.
In 2017, Trump’s inaugural address to Congress drew an impressive 47.7 million viewers. However, it’s important to note that television consumption has seen a general decline over the years. Nielsen’s analysis encompassed viewership from 15 different networks, taking into account those channels whose broadcasts were available through streaming platforms.
Dominating the ratings, Fox News Channel, a favorite among Trump’s supporter base, attracted approximately 10.7 million viewers. ABC followed with 6.3 million viewers, while CBS garnered an audience of 4 million. NBC drew nearly 3.9 million viewers, and the Fox broadcast channel reached 2.7 million. Both CNN and MSNBC reported approximately 1.9 million viewers each.
The demographic data was particularly notable, as the Nielsen company highlighted that 71% of those tuning in to watch Trump’s television appearance were aged 55 and above. This statistic sheds light on the age distribution of Trump’s audience during a significant public engagement.
