President Donald Trump’s 105-minute speech on the opening night of his Republican midterm convention in Dallas was seen by fewer people than a typical audience for Fox News shows Hannity and Gutfeld!, according to preliminary viewing figures.
The two-day Texas summit, which saw the president deliver the keynote address Wednesday and also a closing speech Thursday, failed to pull in big numbers and deliver the usual “Trump bump” for Fox, according to The New York Times and Mediate, citing preliminary Nielsen data.
An average of 2.5 million viewers tuned into Fox News between 9 and 11 p.m. E.T. Wednesday night, below the usual viewership for Hannity and Gutfeld! shows that usually air at that time, according to the data.
Fox was one of the few major networks to air the entire speech, while competitors CNN, CBS, ABC and MSNOW opted not to broadcast Trump’s remarks in full. Right-wing network NewsMax also aired the full speech, along with C-SPAN.
Trump’s speech, in which he pledged his administration would pay $5,000 to each American adult if voters help Republicans keep their congressional majority through the 2026 midterms, also clashed with the NFL season opener.
The president claimed his opening night speech beat the viewing figures for the clash between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks before the numbers were available.
“The Republican Midterm Convention last night, in Dallas, was a major, sold out hit, far bigger, better, and more important than anyone thought possible,” Trump posted Thursday on Truth Social. “It was really something, streaming all over the place, and really big numbers, despite going up against the NFL. The overall numbers beat the NFL.”
The figures for the game won’t be available until next week, according to NBC, but last year saw more than 20 million tune in to watch the first game of the season. Trump’s Thursday night speech to close the convention also clashed with the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams game.
Wednesday night’s 2.5 million figures do not include streaming viewership, which can be difficult to measure. But progressive political commentator Keith Edwards, who streamed himself reacting to the speech live on YouTube, mocked Trump by comparing viewing figures.
“50k people watched the GOP’s livestream. 500k watched me laugh at it,” Edwards posted on X with a screenshot of the figures side by side.
The president repeatedly claimed the Dallas arena was “packed,” despite large sections of empty seating.
Trump rounded out the final night at the convention by leading his audience in a mock version of the Pledge of Allegiance in which he made his followers promise to vote for his allies in the upcoming elections.
Political insiders had warned that the event would be a train wreck in the weeks leading up to the convention. The event, hosted by the Republican National Committee, was derided as a disaster by some GOP operatives, Puck News reported, with one strategist describing it as a “s*** show.”
“President Trump turns out voters like no other candidate, and this convention will provide the momentum needed to expand our majorities in November,” RNC spokesperson Natalie Baldassarre said in response.
