Nearly 9.5 million viewers watched the second Republican presidential primary debate on Wednesday, according to data from Nielsen Media Research.
The two-hour event, hosted by Fox Business Network’s Stuart Varney, Fox News Channel’s Dana Perino and Univision’s Ilia Calderon, was the most-watched program on linear, digital and streaming television Wednesday, averaging 9,323,000 viewers, including 1,888,000 in the coveted 25-54 age demographic.
The debate, held at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif., was Fox Business Network’s highest-rated broadcast since 2016, with ratings topping 60% of the debates in the 2016 and 2020 cycles.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former South Carolina Governor and Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), former Vice President Mike Pence, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and North Gov. Dakota Doug Burgum participated in the forum, which former President Donald Trump – the 2024 GOP front-runner – decided not to attend.
Seven 2024 GOP presidential candidates participated in the event.REUTERS
The second GOP debate was Wednesday’s most-watched program. ETIENNE LAURENT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Viewership was down 25% from the first GOP debate in August, which aired on Fox News, and was watched by 12.8 million people.
Trump, 77, skipped the debate as well, citing his “legendary” poll leader.
Sources have told The Post that Trump also will not participate in the third primary debate, which will be held in Miami on November 8.
A post-debate poll of 1,303 people, conducted by Leger for The Post, found that 62% of GOP voters still want Trump to emerge as the party’s standard-bearer – a 2-point increase since the first debate.
DeSantis, 45, is a distant second, with just 10% of Republican voters wanting to see the Florida governor at the top of the 2024 GOP presidential ticket.
Categories: Trending
Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
