2017 Emmys: Trump bashing to blame for ratings slide?
The 'Outnumbered' panel reacts to initial reports of record low viewership
President Donald Trump tweeted late Tuesday that he was “saddened” to learn that the ratings for Sunday night's Emmy Awards telecast on CBS, hosted by Stephen Colbert, were not good.
Trump tweeted, “I was saddened to see how bad the ratings were on the Emmys last night - the worst ever.”
The president’s Tuesday night tweet was a little off: The show was on Sunday, not Monday, and the ratings didn’t quite hit bottom, though they were close.
President Donald Trump listens as he is introduced during the National Prayer Breakfast, Thursday, Feb. 2, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) (AP)
The Nielsen company estimated that 11.4 million people watched, slightly more than last year’s lowest-ever audience of 11.3 million. But six markets in Florida have not reported, as Hurricane Irma is still holding up the process in areas that were severely impacted by the storm.
“The Emmys are a Hollywood bubble show," Media Research Center vice president Dan Gainor told Fox News. "Actors and directors get to pretend they are important because they are doing such insightful takes on life in America, when they have zero idea what life in America is for the other 330 million people."
Trump added, “Smartest people of them all are the ‘DEPLORABLES.’” That’s a reference to a remark Hillary Clinton made during last year’s presidential campaign, when she said half of Trump's supporters belonged in a “basket of deplorables.”
The Emmys went head-to-head against NBC’s “Sunday Night Football,” which presumably didn’t help viewership, but the awards have now hit new ratings lows for three straight years. Perhaps some viewers want to enjoy the awards show as an escape from politics, or perhaps some viewers simply don’t agree with everything the Hollywood elite has to say.
Sean Spicer speaks at the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 17, 2017, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. (Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
Colbert and the event’s producers didn’t seem to care that roughly half the country wouldn’t be amused by non-stop attacks on Trump.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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