Share
News

Trump Makes Cable History Record with Fox News Town Hall

Share

Fox News’ town hall Thursday evening with President Donald Trump averaged 4.2 million viewers, making it the most-watched election town hall in cable news history, according to early Nielsen Media Research data.

The event hosted in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and moderated by “Special Report” anchor Bret Baier and “The Story” anchor Martha MacCallum also brought in 744,000 viewers in the 25- to 54-year-old demographic, Fox News reported.

The Fox News town hall was shown from 6:30-7:30 p.m. EST and dominated the other cable news programs during that time, with MSNBC and CNN bringing in 1.4 million and 1 million viewers respectively.

Another 2 million viewers tuned in to the encore presentation of the Town Hall at 11 p.m.

Trump’s first town hall of 2020 was more conversational than his rallies and gave him a chance to connect directly with voters who had the opportunity to ask the president questions personally, Fox News reported.

He started by defending his administration’s response to the coronavirus, arguing that limiting travel from China early had averted a broader crisis in the United States.

Trump said he had been ready to face Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders for the presidency, but then Biden won quite a few states on Tuesday.

“I’m all set for Bernie, communist, I had everything down, I was all set,” Trump said.

Do you think Trump will win re-election in November?

“And then we have this crazy thing that happened on Tuesday, which [Biden] thought was Thursday. But he also said 150 million people were killed with guns, and he was running for the United States Senate — there’s something going on there.”

By highlighting Biden’s most recent gaffes, Trump called into question the former vice president’s mental acuity and fitness for office.

Trump criticized Sen. Elizabeth Warren for not dropping out of the race sooner, saying that Sanders “would have won five, six, seven states.”

The president also responded to a question about the rhetoric of insult politics in today’s culture and how it is dividing the country.

Related:
Daniel Penny Accepts Invitation from JD Vance

“I think the way we unite is really through success, but when they hit us, we have to hit back,” Trump said. “There’s two ways of doing it. Turning your cheek — but I wouldn’t be sitting up here if I turned my cheek.”

Fox News has hosted eight town halls with 2020 Democratic presidential candidates, most recently with Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar and former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg — who have all since dropped out of the race.

Fox News’ town hall with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders held the previous record in this election cycle, with 2.6 million viewers tuning in in April 2019, The Hill reported.

On Friday, Fox News Media President and Executive Editor Jay Wallace announced that the network will host the second town hall event with Sanders in Detroit on Monday.

Truth and Accuracy

Submit a Correction →



We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:
, , , , , ,
Share
Erin Coates was an editor for The Western Journal for over two years before becoming a news writer. A University of Oregon graduate, Erin has conducted research in data journalism and contributed to various publications as a writer and editor.
Erin Coates was an editor for The Western Journal for over two years before becoming a news writer. She grew up in San Diego, California, proceeding to attend the University of Oregon and graduate with honors holding a degree in journalism. During her time in Oregon, Erin was an associate editor for Ethos Magazine and a freelance writer for Eugene Magazine. She has conducted research in data journalism, which has been published in the book “Data Journalism: Past, Present and Future.” Erin is an avid runner with a heart for encouraging young girls and has served as a coach for the organization Girls on the Run. As a writer and editor, Erin strives to promote social dialogue and tell the story of those around her.
Birthplace
Tucson, Arizona
Nationality
American
Honors/Awards
Graduated with Honors
Education
Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, University of Oregon
Books Written
Contributor for Data Journalism: Past, Present and Future
Location
Prescott, Arizona
Languages Spoken
English, French
Topics of Expertise
Politics, Health, Entertainment, Faith




Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.

Conversation