Thursday, January 16, 2020

TV Ratings: CNN, Dem Debate Slumps

The latest Democratic primary debate, hosted by CNN and the Des Moines Register, garnered just over 7 million viewers.

The number is low for this debate cycle: The most-watched debates were the first, held in June, and the third, held in September. The June debate drew roughly 15 million viewers while the September debate brought in 3 million more than that.

The record number of viewers for a presidential debate was set during the 2016 election cycle by the first Republican primary debate, hosted by Fox News, which drew 24 million viewers.

The Washington Examiner reports the debate was overshadowed by drama between two of the candidates on stage: independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

Days before the debate, reports suggested that Sanders told Warren that a woman could not win the presidency. Warren later confirmed the report in a statement from her campaign.

During the debate, Sanders denied making the charge. The CNN moderators ignored Sanders's denial and questioned Warren as if the exchange happened as Warren had described it.

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