CNN’s Ratings Decline Amid Changing Media Landscape in Second Trump Presidency

CNN experienced a significant boost in ratings during President Donald Trump’s first term, often referred to as the “Trump bump.” However, in the second Trump presidency, the network has seen a notable decline as both the media landscape and CNN itself have undergone substantial changes. A detailed analysis reveals that CNN’s viewership has dramatically decreased, losing over 40% of its total day and primetime audience between 2017 and 2025, the two periods corresponding with Trump’s presidencies.

In 2015, before Trump announced his presidential run, CNN was attracting an average of 711,000 primetime viewers and a daily audience of 489,000. Initially, many mainstream media outlets, including CNN, did not perceive Trump as a serious contender for the presidency. However, by early 2016, as Trump’s candidacy gained traction, his appearances became a significant ratings draw for the network.

CNN famously featured live coverage of Trump’s rallies, often waiting with empty podiums to maintain viewer interest. Despite criticism for giving extensive coverage to the GOP nominee, this strategy resulted in a ratings surge for CNN, which averaged 1.3 million primetime viewers and a total daily audience of 752,000 by the end of 2016.

During Trump’s first year in office in 2017, CNN pivoted towards programming that focused on resistance to the administration, with then-White House correspondent Jim Acosta becoming well-known for his confrontational style. This approach helped maintain CNN’s high viewership levels at the time, with an average of 1 million primetime viewers and a daily audience of 775,000.

Fast-forward to 2025, and CNN’s landscape appears remarkably different. High-profile figures such as Don Lemon, Chris Cuomo, and Jim Acosta have departed from the network. Additionally, the leadership shift from former CNN President Jeff Zucker, who focused on anti-Trump opinion programming, to Chris Licht and later Mark Thompson, aimed to reduce partisanship. Despite these efforts, CNN’s current leadership has struggled to recapture the momentum of the first Trump administration.

The network’s primetime audience fell to 573,000, with a total daily audience of 432,000 in 2025, representing a 45% and 44% decline from 2017, respectively. While CNN is affected by the growing trend of audiences consuming news through streaming and alternative platforms, this decline can’t be attributed solely to cord-cutting. Other networks like Fox News Channel have experienced growth during the same period, increasing its cable news audience share.

Fox News contributor Joe Concha commented on CNN’s viewer decline, suggesting that the network’s perceived lack of credibility and biased reporting since 2017 played a role. He criticized their coverage on topics such as the Russian collusion narrative and Hunter Biden’s laptop story, which may have contributed to viewer discontent.

In 2025, CNN also reached all-time lows in the advertiser-coveted demographic of adults aged 25–54, with only 102,000 demo viewers during primetime and 70,000 throughout the day. Curtis Houck, managing editor of NewsBusters, noted that the media landscape has evolved significantly, providing Trump critics with numerous other avenues such as podcasts to express their views, reducing reliance on cable news.

Jeffrey McCall, a media analyst and professor at DePauw University, attributed CNN’s audience decline to several factors, including the establishment media and left-of-center voters’ initial denial of Trump’s 2016 victory. This led to intense coverage of conspiracy theories, which have now diminished. McCall stated that while resistance to Trump hasn’t disappeared, there is a decreased sentiment that such resistance can be as effective or necessary.