CNN, MSNBC Ratings Drop Because 'Trump No Longer Is President,' Expert Says

CNN and MSNBC’s viewership fell in the second quarter of 2021 because Donald Trump no longer sits in the White House, an expert said Tuesday.

William A. Jacobson, a professor at Cornell Law School and a media critic, claimed that liberal networks only relied on “bashing” the former president to boost their viewership. He also accused the news stations of having “credibility problems.”

"CNN and MSNBC were one-trick ponies, and that trick was bashing Trump," he told Fox News, adding: "Now that Trump no longer is president, they have tried to keep up the mania, but it's hard.”

Jacobson also claimed that CNN and MSNBC’s audience only wanted to hear about stories that called out the former president.

"It's not hard to imagine executives at CNN and MSNBC saying nightly prayers that Trump runs for president in 2024,” he said.

In June viewership figures and second quarter ratings, Fox News held the top spot with an average of 2.13 million viewers. MSNBC’s viewership fell by 36%, with an average of 1.31 million viewers, while CNN’s ratings dropped by 57%, averaging 798,000 viewers during primetime hours of 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET, according to data from Nielsen, as reported by Deadline.

In the key demographics of adults between the ages of 25 to 54, CNN drew 179,000 viewers, falling 68% compared to the same month in 2020, and MSNBC drew 166,000, 48% less than it recorded last year. In total day, CNN averaged 580,000 viewers while MSNBC posted 763,000.

While CNN and MSNBC have reported declining viewership figures, Fox News also showed a decline in viewership since the November election.

In primetime, Fox News’ figures dropped by 42% compared to the same month in 2020. In the 25 to 54 adult demographics, Fox News recorded a 50% drop in its viewership figures. In total day, the station only averaged 1.17 million viewers, down 35% compared to the same period last year.

Joe Cocha, a contributor for Fox News, predicted the decline will continue for CNN and MSNBC, citing “serious credibility issues” as the reason.

"Q3 will be even worse in looking at the trends for both networks, if that’s possible. The numbers are where they are because of two things: Their myopic ratings hook, Donald Trump, isn’t around anymore. But more importantly, these networks have a serious credibility problem," he said.