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Like many Americans, Ziad Aunallah, a Democrat who kept a close eye on political events during the presidential campaign, has been disinterested after the election.

“People are mentally worn out,” said San Diego resident Aunallah, 45. “We’re just taking a little vacation, and everyone is aware of what’s coming.”

This phenomenon is demonstrated by television ratings and a recent survey. According to the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, over two-thirds of American people say they have recently felt the need to cut back on their consumption of political and government news because of overload.

Politics stands out, whereas smaller percentages of Americans are consuming less news about the economy, climate change, or foreign wars.

Before the election, Sam Gude, a 47-year-old electrician from Lincoln, Nebraska, claimed that he spent too much time watching election coverage on CNN and MSNBC. Gude, a Democrat who does not support President-elect Donald Trump, stated, “The interregnum is the last thing I want to watch right now.”

More Democrats than Republicans Are Leaving, According to a Poll

According to the December study, over 70% of Democrats are avoiding political news. While Republicans, who are celebrating Trump’s triumph, have a lower percentage, over 60% of Republicans and a comparable amount of independents feel the desire to take a vacation.

Even more pronounced is the effect on TV networks that broadcast political news.

According to Nielsen, MSNBC’s average prime-time viewership fell to 620,000 between election night and December 13, a 54% decrease from its pre-election audience. During the same time period, CNN’s average viewership dropped by 45% to 405,000.

On the other hand, Fox News Channel, which is popular with Trump supporters, saw a 13% rise in post-election viewers, reaching an average of 2.68 million during prime time. Compared to 53% prior to Election Day, 72% of viewers in the CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News audiences tuned toward Fox after the election.

This decline for the losing side’s preferred networks is not new. Following Trump’s election in 2016, MSNBC saw comparable problems, and Fox News encountered difficulties in 2020, which were made worse by viewer ire over its early election-night prediction of Arizona for Joe Biden.

MSNBC has also encountered criticism, such as from fans of Morning Joe who were offended by hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough’s trip to Trump after the election. Although the show’s ratings have decreased by 35% since Election Day, the reduction is less than MSNBC’s prime-time ratings decline as a whole.

CNN reported that its streaming and digital audiences are stable despite its struggles with television ratings.

Will There Be a Rebound in Political Interest?

According to history, as the first post-election slump subsides, network ratings frequently increase again. The opposition is frequently energized by a new administration, which attracts viewers to their preferred networks.

Aunallah declared, “Once the clown show begins, I’ll be tuning back in.” “It’s happening whether you want to hear it or not. You must pay attention if you are concerned about your nation.”

But MSNBC’s ratings decline is more severe than it was in 2016, and it’s unclear if Trump’s rivals will continue to be as active as they were throughout his first term. Furthermore, the number of people unplugging from cable television is on the rise.

Advice from Viewers to Networks

Americans are looking for less political commentary from public personalities, according to the poll. More Americans are against than in favor of athletes, companies, and celebrities speaking out on politics following a season in which celebrity endorsements garnered media attention.

Some Americans offered recommendations to the networks on how to win back disinterested viewers.

Gude says the network should concentrate more on issues and less on Trump in order to reach a wider audience, but he thinks MSNBC’s core audience of Trump skeptics will stick with the network.

Grand Junction, Colorado resident Kathleen Kendrick, 36, said she hears enough loud political comments at work. She desires more thorough and impartial press coverage.

Kendrick remarked, “You get a story, but only a part of a story.” “It would be good to have more research and both sides.”

Aunallah is also searching for depth and diversity. He declared, “I no longer want to watch the irate man on the corner yelling at me.”

“I’m not watching, which is kind of their own fault,” he continued. “They spoke about the election for a long time. Why would anyone want to watch once the big event is over if they made it their main focus?”

Details of the Poll

Using NORC’s AmeriSpeak Panel, which is intended to be representative of the American population, a survey of 1,251 persons was carried out between December 5–9, 2024. All adults have a sample error margin of ±3.7 percentage points.

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