The latest Republican presidential primary debate, experienced a significant drop in viewership, attracting just over 6 million viewers. This figure represents the smallest audience of the current election cycle, showing a substantial 45% decrease from the first debate’s viewers.
This decline in viewership for the Wednesday debate has been attributed to RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel. Presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy openly criticized her management of the debates and called for her resignation.
During the debate, Ramaswamy highlighted the choice of moderators, questioning the decision to have NBC’s Kristen Welker host. He compared it to the unlikely scenario of Fox News host Greg Gutfeld moderating a Democratic debate.
McDaniel, who has been in charge of organizing the presidential debates, faced criticism for allocating the first two debate hosting roles to Fox News, which reportedly upset former President Donald Trump. She later assigned the hosting duties for the third and fourth debates to more left-leaning networks, including NBC.
Ramaswamy didn’t hold back during the debate, directly challenging McDaniel. He suggested that moderators like Tucker Carlson, Joe Rogan, and Elon Musk would significantly increase viewership and address topics more relevant to GOP primary voters.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the NBC debate drew 6.8 million viewers on linear TV, with 1.3 million in the key 25-54 age demographic. This viewership was lower than the 9 million who watched the second debate on Fox Business and Fox News and considerably less than the nearly 12.8 million viewers for the first debate on Fox News. The inaugural debate’s audience was itself a 50% drop from the first debate of the 2016 campaign, which, featuring then-candidate Trump, attracted a record 24 million viewers on Fox News.
Ramaswamy’s critique of McDaniel extended beyond debate management. He pointed out the party’s losses since she became RNC chairwoman in 2017, emphasizing the need for accountability within the party. This stance garnered significant grassroots support, with figures like media contributor Monica Crowley and social media influencer Rogan O’Handley echoing calls for McDaniel’s resignation.
The fourth GOP primary debate is scheduled for December 6 in Alabama, marking a shift away from mainstream media outlets to more liberal cable networks.
