Donald Trump's recent inauguration ceremony witnessed a significant drop in television viewership, marking the lowest ratings since Barack Obama's second swearing-in in 2013. Just 24.6 million Americans tuned in to watch Trump take office, compared to the 33.8 million who viewed Joe Biden's inauguration in 2021. This figure also pales in comparison to the 38 million viewers who watched Barack Obama's first inauguration in 2009.
The majority of those who did tune in for Trump's inauguration were aged 55 and over, with 17% of all US citizens in that demographic watching the event. In stark contrast, only 1.9% of people aged 18 to 34 watched the ceremony, highlighting a significant generational gap in viewership. The overall audience was notably down from the 30.6 million Americans who watched Trump's first inauguration.
Fox News led the television networks with the highest number of viewers for Trump's inauguration, drawing 10.67 million spectators. ABC News followed with a distant second, attracting 4.85 million viewers. Despite being the most-watched network for the event, Fox News' numbers could not elevate the overall viewership to surpass previous inaugurations.
Trump's low ratings also fell short of George W. Bush's second inauguration, which had previously set the record for the lowest TV viewing numbers since 1969. In contrast, Richard Nixon managed to increase his television audience by 6 million for his second term. Meanwhile, Barack Obama's first inauguration remains the most-watched swearing-in since Ronald Reagan's in 1981.
This decrease in viewership for Trump's ceremony underscores shifting media consumption patterns and possibly suggests waning interest among younger audiences. The data reflects a growing trend where traditional television may no longer capture the engagement it once did, especially among younger demographics.