Television viewership for President Trump’s historic second inauguration was far lower than the audience for his first in 2017 and former President Biden’s 2021 event.
Trump’s celebrations averaged 24.6 million viewers across 15 networks from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET, down 27% from four years ago, Nielsen data showed. The number is also down 20% from Trump’s first inauguration.
Historically, the audience level at a presidential inauguration is much lower for incumbents elected to a second term. But there is no such situation for Trump, the first president elected to a second non-consecutive term since Grover Cleveland in 1892.
Ratings for news outlets based on political leanings collapsed, with conservative-leaning Fox News drawing 10.3 million viewers from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET, when Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance were sworn in and the president spoke to the rally at the Capitol. Rotunda. CNN averaged 1.7 million viewers while progressive MSNBC recorded 848,000 viewers.
Viewing for the inauguration peaked overall at 12:15 p.m. in the East Quadrant at 34.4 million, down from the 40 million viewers who watched Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris take the oath of office in 2021.
Millions of viewers watched part of Trump’s inauguration on streaming platforms as well. Fox Television’s LiveNOW averaged 1.7 million viewers during the swearing-in ceremony, the most viewers of any YouTube channel. The stream on Trump’s own YouTube channel peaked at 704,798 viewers.
