The 'Trump Bump' Still Helps FOX News

The Wrap has published several pieces analyzing the phenomenon known as the "Trump Media Bump," a term that generally refers to the surge in media attention, audience engagement, and sometimes revenue that news outlets experienced during Donald Trump’s political rise and presidency.

One notable article from The Wrap, published on February 18, 2025, titled "Memo to the Mainstream Media: There’s No Mollifying MAGA | Analysis," provides indirect insight into the Trump Media Bump by examining the relationship between Trump, his supporters, and the press. Written amidst the context of Trump’s administration, it argues that Trump and his base have consistently framed the media as an enemy, a dynamic that fueled coverage and engagement. The piece suggests that this antagonistic relationship drove significant attention to media outlets, as Trump’s actions and rhetoric—often amplified by his use of social media—kept him and his narrative at the center of news cycles.

This week, The Wrap’s coverage hints at the bump’s decline post-Trump presidency. The February 2025 analysis implies that attempts by some outlets to soften their stance toward Trump (e.g., to maintain access) didn’t fundamentally alter the MAGA base’s distrust, suggesting the bump relied on conflict rather than reconciliation. This aligns with industry data from elsewhere—like Axios reporting a 44% traffic drop for conservative outlets like Newsmax after Trump left office in 2021—indicating the bump was tied to his active presence.

Here are the key figures From The Wrap this week:

• Fox News in February averaged 3.1 million prime time viewers — a February record for the channel and 7% more viewers than Fox averaged during February 2017. Its January ratings — 2.8 million prime time viewers on average — were even with the same month back in 2017.
•  MSNBC, after seeing its average prime time viewership drop to 539,000 in December, saw its ratings jump 36% in January and 109% in February. The channel averaged 1.13 million prime time viewers last month. One factor: Having Rachel Maddow back in the anchor chair five nights a week through the start of the new administration. But that’s after the primetime audience fell a shocking 55% from Nov. 4 through Dec. 15.
• CNN has followed a similar path to MSNBC, although its rebound has not been quite as strong. The oldest cable news network averaged 337,000 prime time viewers in December, after viewers ditched the channel and MSNBC following Trump’s victory, with a massive 46.7% drop in viewers. CNN has since seen its ratings jump 64% from December, with the channel averaging 553,000 prime time viewers in February.

In essence, The Wrap’s analyses portray the Trump Media Bump as a period of heightened engagement driven by Trump’s ability to dominate news cycles through controversy, direct communication (e.g., via X-Twitter), and a fractured media landscape eager to respond.