Trump Mocks CNN’s Ratings and Says Chris Cuomo Should Get Pay Cut After Network Draws Biggest Audience in History
President Donald Trump railed against CNN on Twitter Wednesday morning, claiming he cannot “believe how badly” the network performed in the latest ratings figures.
The president must not have read the numbers: CNN drew the highest ratings of its 40 year history for the second quarter of 2020, the network announced Tuesday.
What’s more, the president blamed Chris Cuomo (who he referred to as “Fredo”) as the reason for CNN’s alleged ratings woes, arguing the anchor fo Cuomo Prime Time should be given a “big pay cut.” Once again, the president would be well served in reading Mediaite’s ratings coverage: Chris Cuomo had the highest-rated show on CNN in the second quarter, and even beat out MSNBC ratings juggernaut Rachel Maddow in the demo.
“Can’t believe how badly @CNN has done in the newly released TV ratings,” Trump wrote on Twitter. “They are so far below @FoxNews (thank you President Trump!) that you can barely find them. Fredo should be given a big pay cut! MSDNC also did poorly. As I have long said, Fake News does not pay!!!”
Can’t believe how badly @CNN has done in the newly released TV ratings. They are so far below @FoxNews (thank you President Trump!) that you can barely find them. Fredo should be given a big pay cut! MSDNC also did poorly. As I have long said, Fake News does not pay!!!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 1, 2020
The president also congratulated his favorite morning show, Fox & Friends, on their numbers, while bashing Morning Joe, his least favorite morning show, on theirs:
Congratulations to @foxandfriends on completely dominating the just released morning TV Ratings. Morning Joke, staring Psycho Joe Scarborough on MSDNC, a Concast Company, was a disaster. Even worse was the barely registering @CNN mess!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 1, 2020
Here are the numbers: CNN drew its largest audience ever in Q2 in both total day — averaging 1.18 million overall and 335,000 in the demo — and prime time — averaging 1.8 million overall and 528,000 in the demo.
Cuomo Prime Time drew a whopping 587,000 in the demo (Maddow drew 487,000), though Maddow still beat her CNN rival in total viewers (3.08 million to 1.98 million).
Trump is correct about Fox & Friends dominating the morning slot. The show averaged 1.6 million total viewers and 302,000 in the demo for the second quarter. Morning Joe wasn’t too far behind, with 1.35 million total viewers and 219,000 in the demo.
The president’s praise of Fox comes the morning after he attacked the network for employing Donna Brazile.
CNN PR, apparently, is exhausted:
This is exhausting. But @PressSec says you can read and also consume intelligence verbally. So consider reading this or asking one of your staffers to read it aloud to you: Q2 of 2020 was the Most-Watched Quarter in CNN’s 40 Year History: https://t.co/H57NoOhk0V
— CNN Communications (@CNNPR) July 1, 2020
