Ratings Drop To Lowest Yet In 2024 Presidential Cycle

TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA - DECEMBER 06: Republican presidential candidates (L-R) former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy participate in the NewsNation Republican Presidential Primary Debate at the University of Alabama Moody Music Hall on December 6, 2023 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The four presidential hopefuls squared off during the fourth Republican primary debate without current frontrunner and former U.S. President Donald Trump, who has declined to participate in any of the previous debates. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Republican presidential candidates (L-R) former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy participate in the NewsNation Republican Presidential Primary Debate at the University of Alabama Moody Music Hall on December 6, 2023 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The four presidential hopefuls squared off during the fourth Republican primary debate without current frontrunner and former U.S. President Donald Trump, who has declined to participate in any of the previous debates. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

By James Meyers
1:50 PM – Friday, December 8, 2023

The fourth Republican debate’s ratings dropped again, pulling in the lowest viewership out of all the GOP primary debates so far. 

Just over 4 million people tuned in to NewsNation and The CW to watch former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley (R-S.C.), Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.), entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (R-N.J.) duke it out on the debate stage on Wednesday night.

The decline is down from 7 million viewers of the third debate, 9 million for the second and 12.8 million for the first. 

Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump, who has been known for saying the Republican National Committee (RNC) has only reached out to hostile media to host the debates, has seen his lead in the polls continue to increase. He is the frontrunner to become the GOP nominee. 

The former president participated in the first Republican debate of the 2016 election cycle, which brought in a record 24 million viewers. 

On Thursday, CNN announced that they will be hosting two debates in January, one on the 10th in Iowa, and the other on the 21st in New Hampshire. 

The RNC, and its chair Ronna McDaniel, have taken heavy criticism for the decisions they have made with the network. 

During the third debate from Miami, Ramaswamy was highly critical of McDaniel’s handling of the debate and said she should resign. 

 

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