Thu Nov 21 11:00:00 UTC 2024: **MSNBC’s *Morning Joe* Sees Massive Viewership Drop After Hosts’ Meeting with Trump**
NEW YORK, NY – The MSNBC morning show, *Morning Joe*, experienced a significant decline in viewership following the revelation that hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski met with President-elect Trump at Mar-a-Lago last Friday. The meeting, the first between the hosts and Trump in seven years, sparked outrage among liberal viewers and some MSNBC colleagues.
The show’s 6 a.m. ET hour on Monday saw a drop of approximately 200,000 total viewers compared to its year-to-date average, with even steeper declines in the key 25-54 demographic. Tuesday’s numbers showed a further decrease, indicating a sustained loss of viewership. This comes after a week of already low ratings for MSNBC across its programming lineup, following the Democrats’ election setbacks.
Scarborough and Brzezinski defended their decision to meet with Trump, stating that they discussed various key issues including abortion, mass deportation, and political retribution, and that restarting communication was vital in these deeply divided times. However, their explanation has failed to quell the backlash.
Prominent figures like Rosie O’Donnell and Jennifer Rubin have publicly declared they will no longer watch the show. Social media has been ablaze with criticism, with many expressing feelings of betrayal and disappointment. MSNBC staff members have also reportedly voiced internal criticism of the hosts’ actions.
The significant ratings drop raises questions about the long-term impact of the meeting on *Morning Joe*’s audience and its relationship with its core viewership. The show’s future remains uncertain amid this ongoing controversy.
First Piper 