Last updated on September 25th, 2023 at 02:03 pm
If you haven’t heard, Donald Trump is pretty obsessed with television ratings. The day after the Republican National Convention concluded, he even sent out this self-congratulatory tweet:
One of the best produced, including the incredible stage & set, in the history of conventions. Great unity! Big T.V. ratings! @KarlRove
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 22, 2016
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In a contest between substance and ratings, Trump will choose ratings every time.
In that tweet, though, Trump didn’t mention the fact that ratings for the final night of his convention – when he spent 75 straight minutes doing his best Mussolini impression – fell way short of the last night of John McCain’s convention in 2008.
That year, McCain and the Republicans drew about 39 million viewers on their closing night – nearly 7 million more viewers than this year’s RNC.
Today brought another piece of bad news for the ratings-obsessed Trump: Millions more Americans watched the first night of the DNC than the opening act of the GOP freakshow in Cleveland.
According to preliminary Nielsen numbers, 26 million viewers tuned into the star-studded opening night of the DNC – three million more than the Republican gathering took in.
It’s unclear whether the high DNC ratings will continue through the week, but there is certainly no shortage of heavy-hitting speakers.
Following Monday’s powerhouse line-up of Michelle Obama, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, Bill Clinton is slated to speak on Tuesday night. President Obama, Vice President Biden and VP nominee Tim Kaine will headline Wednesday night’s proceedings, while Hillary Clinton and daughter Chelsea will cap things off on Thursday.
Compare that to the list of B-list celebrities that consumed much of the RNC’s speaking schedule, and there’s really no contest.
Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.
