News ratings down after election, MSNBC sees 54% fall, CNN down 36%
It’s been a busy news cycle following the 2024 presidential election, a time of year when news organizations typically bank on high viewership due to public interest in election results and reactions. However, some networks are seeing their post-election audience quickly dissipate.
According to Nielsen ratings, MSNBC had a strong election night, drawing 6 million viewers. But in the days following the election, its viewership dropped significantly, falling to less than 1 million.
The network lost more than half of its audience compared to its October viewership, marking the lowest-rated non-holiday night of the year on Friday, Nov. 8.
MSNBC experienced a similar loss in viewership following the 2016 election after Donald Trump’s victory. However, the network rebounded, going on to have its four most-watched years in history from 2017 to 2020, as many news outlets capitalized on Trump-heavy coverage, generating record revenue.
CNN also saw a significant decline in viewership after last week’s election. The network attracted 5.1 million viewers during its election coverage, but in the days following the election, CNN’s viewership dropped to 611,000, a 36% decline compared to its October average of 953,000.
Fox News saw a different trend. While MSNBC and CNN were losing viewers, Fox News gained.
On election night, Fox attracted more than 10 million viewers, and in the days that followed, the network’s total viewership averaged over 4 million, a 34% increase from its October average. This was also a 58% jump compared to its year-to-date viewership for 2024.
While this trend reflects left-leaning cable networks losing viewers after Trump’s victory and right-leaning outlets gaining, there is one left-leaning talk show that defied the trend. “The View” saw a boost in viewership following Trump’s win, posting its best week of ratings in more than three years.
The ABC daytime talk show averaged 3 million viewers during the week of Nov. 5, making it the top-rated daytime talk show. The day after the election, “The View” had its most-watched episode in over a decade, drawing 4.5 million viewers, its highest since Barbara Walters’ farewell episode in 2014.
A total of 42 million people watched the election unfold across 18 TV networks, according to Nielsen. However, the viewership was down compared to the 2020 election, when 57 million tuned in, marking a 25% decrease in viewership this cycle.
Some in the media suggest that the decline in viewership on such a major news night can be attributed to a lack of trust in traditional media.
“The path of traditional media’s institutional collapse is really two intertwining stories: a breakdown of its business model exacerbated by a breakdown of influence, the extent of which became clear this campaign cycle,” Carlo Versano of Newsweek said. “Behind it all lies a growing sense among Americans that the media cannot be trusted to tell them the news they believe is fair.”
Disney cruise ship saves 4 boaters from sinking Catamaran
Four stranded boaters are safe thanks to a Disney cruise ship joining the U.S. Coast Guard on a rescue mission. It happened Sunday, Nov. 10, when the Catamaran started sinking about 265 miles off the coast of Bermuda.
The escape hatch blew a gasket causing the boat to take on water.
Coast Guard officials put out a call for help and the Disney Treasure was the closest ship.
“Once the cruise ship was within radio contact they worked directly with the sailing vessel and they were super helpful and super willing to do whatever they could to help these people,” Lt. Commander Michael Rauch told ABC News.
The crew on the ship launched a life boat to successfully rescue all four passengers on the Catamaran.
Captain Marco Nogara of the Disney Treasure said in a statement, “We are pleased that the Disney Treasure was able to provide aid to the boat passengers in peril. Our crew members worked together on the rescue, skillfully demonstrating their training and commitment to safety.”
The Treasure is sailing from the Netherlands to its new home in Port Canaveral, Florida.
TV talk show hosts react to Trump winning presidential election
TV talk show hosts, late-night and daytime, have added their voices to the many reactions to Donald Trump winning the 2024 presidential election. Most of these hosts specifically speak to viewers who don’t side with supporters of the president-elect.
Comedian Jon Stewart told his “Daily Show” audience on election night Tuesday, Nov. 5, to not listen to what the pundits and pollsters may take from the results.
“We’re going to come out of this election and we’re going to make all kind of pronouncements about what this country is and what this world is. And the truth is, we’re not really going to know s–t. And we’re going to make it seem like this is the finality of our civilization. And this is the thing.
We’re all going to have to wake up tomorrow morning, and work like hell to move the world to the place that we prefer it to be. And I just want to point out, just as a matter of perspective, that the lessons that our pundits take away from these results that they will pronounce with certainty will be wrong.”
Jon Stewart
Over On ABC’s “The View,” Whoopi Goldberg opened the show Wednesday, Nov. 6, by saying, “So? What happened last night? Anybody do anything interesting?”
“What’s important to me is this — tens of millions of Americans, our friends, neighbors, family members voted for Donald Trump. We disagree with him, but they’re good decent people who are patriots and love this country. I can’t speak to what drove them to the conclusion of being with him. I think it’s a moment for us to listen to each other, hear each other, express what our concerns are and listen to people who are with him.
This is a country that there is truly more that unites us than divides us. I know it doesn’t feel like that for many people in this moment. But we need to bring down the temperature, the name-calling, the demonizing.”
Farah Griffin.
Co-host Sunny Hustin said she wasn’t entirely surprised by Trump’s victory. She gave her reasons why she believed it happened.
“I’m surprised by the result, but I’m not surprised. As a woman of color, I was so hopeful that a mixed-race woman married to a Jewish guy could be elected president of this country. I think it had nothing to do with policy. This was a referendum of cultural resentment in this country.”
Sunny Hustin
Turning to late night, “Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon stuck with comedy to express his views of the election.
“It was a tough night for Democrats. Today, they turned to Elon Musk like, ‘So tell me more at living on Mars. How close are we?”
Jimmy Fallon
Former “Tonight Show” host Jay Leno appeared on CBS’ “The Talk” to discuss the results. Leno said it was “a great day for democracy.”
“The nice thing about this election is, it was fair. It was honest. OK. I was not a fan, but that’s OK. It’s the president of the United States. Let’s all get together. Thank you very much, you know?”
Jay Leno
Meanwhile, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel and Seth Meyers, all outspoken critics of Donald Trump, used their platform to try to reassure their viewers, who they suspected were feeling nervous about another Trump presidency.
“How you doing?” Colbert said to open Wednesday’s show.”If you watch the show regularly, I’m guessing you’re not doing great. Yeah, me neither.”
Later in the show’s monologue, Colbert said, “As a late-night host people often say to me, ‘Come on, part of you got to want Trump to win because he gives you so much material to work with.’ No. No.”
“The people voted and this is the choice we made. In January, Donald Trump becomes president and that’s that. He won. It doesn’t mean we give up, but it also doesn’t mean we storm the Capitol because we don’t like the result.”
Jimmy Kimmel
“This is real, and this is something I accept — half the country thinks he’s a good person, or they don’t care that he’s not, because they think he’s a good president. And because of that, he’s gonna be our president again. That’s how democracy works in America, a country that is a privilege to live in even on a morning like today.”
Seth Meyers
The TV hosts agree on this point: the results are final and Donald Trump will once again be U.S. president.
Before ending his opening thoughts, Meyers tried to put a smile on the faces of his viewers by sharing a story about his time at the polling station when a poll worker addressed his 6-year-old son.
“And he looked at my son, and he very sweetly said, ‘Hello, young man! Are you here to see the wheels of democracy turn up close?’ And my son looked at me and he sort of did this thing where he waved me down, and then he whispered in my ear, ‘Is that Donald Trump?’
I think my son is totally fine with how everything went yesterday, ’cause he left that polling place with like 55 stickers and 100 pens.”
Vice President Kamala Harris concedes the election to former President Donald Trump. And President Joe Biden speaks to Trump to invite him to a meeting at the White House. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024.
Harris concedes presidential election to Trump
Donald Trump is once again president-elect, with more media outlets calling the election on Wednesday, Nov. 6. The former (and future) president not only won the Electoral College but the popular vote as well.
As of early Thursday morning, Nov. 7, Decision Desk HQ had Trump standing at 312 electoral votes, surpassing the 270 needed to win. His opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris earned 226. Trump also led in the popular vote at close to 73 million, with Harris getting just over 68 million.
We heard from Trump celebrating his victory in the wee hours of Wednesday morning. Harris chose not to speak at that time.
Instead, the vice president waited until the afternoon to address a crowd of supporters at Howard University, where she conceded the election.
“The outcome of this election is not what we wanted, not what we fought for, not what we voted for,” she said, “but hear me when I say, hear me when I say, the light of America’s promise will always burn bright as long as we never give up and as long as we keep fighting.”
Harris said she spoke with Trump on the phone to congratulate him. She also told her supporters it is important to accept the election results and engage in a peaceful transfer of power, calling it “a fundamental principle of American democracy.”
“At the same time, in our nation, we owe loyalty not to a president or a party, but to the Constitution of the United States, and loyalty to our conscience and to our god,” she said. “My allegiance to all three is why I am here to say, while I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign.”
Harris also told the crowd, they might “feel dark times are ahead” but she hopes that’s not the case and added that “sometimes the fight takes a while.”
Harris, as the sitting vice president, will be the one overseeing Congress’ ceremonial certification of the election in January.
Meanwhile, there is speculation Trump could soon begin announcing appointments to key positions in his cabinet, in just a matter of days. Some prospective nominees reportedly canceled their flights out of south Florida Wednesday after election night celebrations, in order to remain close to Trump.
Biden congratulates Trump on win, invites him to White House
President Joe Biden also reached out to President-elect Trump over the phone on Wednesday. During that call, he invited Trump to a meeting at the White House and offered his congratulations.
The White House released a statement saying, “President Biden expressed his commitment to ensuring a smooth transition and emphasized the importance of working to bring the country together.”
A Trump campaign spokesperson confirmed the call, and that Biden invited the president-elect to the White House to “ensure a smooth transition between the current administration and the incoming administration.” The Trump campaign said the White House meeting would take place shortly and Trump very much appreciated the call from Biden.
Biden also spoke to Vice President Harris on the phone Wednesday. He released a statement following her concession speech saying in part, “Under extraordinary circumstances, she stepped up and led a historic campaign that embodied what’s possible when guided by a strong moral compass and a clear vision for a nation.”
President Biden added that selecting Harris as his vice president was “the best decision” he made.
The president is expected to address the nation Thursday on the election and the transition of power.
This morning at 11 AM ET, I’ll address the nation to discuss the election results and the transition.
Special counsel, DOJ reportedly in talks to end Trump prosecutions
Now that former President Trump is once again president-elect, Special Counsel Jack Smith is reportedly in talks with Department of Justice leadership to figure out how to end the criminal cases against Trump. That’s what sources familiar with the matter have told several media outlets.
The DOJ has had a longstanding policy against prosecuting a sitting president and Justice Department regulations say a special counsel must consult DOJ leaders — possibly even Attorney General Merrick Garland — on major decisions in an investigation.
Last year, Smith charged Trump with plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and illegally keeping classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Those latter charges were dismissed by a judge earlier this year, but Smith has appealed that ruling. Trump has pleaded not guilty in both cases.
Biden admin rushing billions in assistance to Ukraine: Reports
The Biden administration plans to rush billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine before President Biden leaves office in January, according to multiple reports. The goal is to make sure Ukraine’s government is in a good place when President-elect Trump takes office.
Trump has been critical of the scale of the U.S. military and financial support for Ukraine in its war with Vladimir Putin and Russia.
I had an excellent call with President @realDonaldTrump and congratulated him on his historic landslide victory—his tremendous campaign made this result possible. I praised his family and team for their great work.
We agreed to maintain close dialogue and advance our…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 6, 2024
In April, the Republican-controlled House approved more aid for Ukraine, including an allocation for weapons. However, more than $6 billion in aid that has been set aside for Ukraine has not made it there yet.
Trump has vowed to end the war between Russia and Ukraine quickly but has not specified how.
Cuba’s power grid collapses after Hurricane Rafael makes landfall
Hurricane Rafael weakened after making landfall in Cuba as a powerful Category 3 storm, but not before causing the island’s electrical grid to collapse.
While the storm is expected to stay in the southern part of the Gulf of Mexico, heavy rain will be seen in Florida and neighboring parts of the southeast. One to three inches of rain are expected for parts of the Florida Keys.
Rafael is the fifth major hurricane of the year in the Atlantic and the strongest to hit this late in the year since 2020.
Fox News wins election ratings, overall viewership falls from 2020
Fox News once again led the pack, getting the most viewers on election night. During primetime hours between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET, 9.8 million viewers tuned into Fox News. However, that is down from the nearly 14 million viewers who watched in 2020.
On the broadcast side, ABC News came in No. 1 in primetime with 5.6 million viewers.
Overall, Nielsen said across 18 cable and broadcast networks, 42 .3 million people tuned into coverage. That’s down more than 25% from 2020, when election coverage drew nearly 57 million viewers.
*Corrections to Wednesday’s “Unbiased Updates”: We would like to correct that North Carolina did not ‘flip’ blue as the current governor, Roy Cooper, is a Democrat.And, in our final story, history was made in three states on Election Day as two of the elections we mentioned took place in Delaware.
Trump speaks of ‘incredible’ win after projected to be next US president
Donald Trump is poised to win the presidency again. How Georgia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania helped put him over the top. And while Republicans have picked up seats in the Senate, will they also take the House? A look at where things stand. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024.
Trump speaks of ‘incredible’ win after projected to be next U.S. president
Former President Donald Trump declared victory while addressing supporters in Florida early Wednesday morning, Nov. 6, as his lead over Vice President Kamala Harris grew. He picked up critical wins in key battleground states Pennsylvania, Georgia, and North Carolina.
“We overcame obstacles that nobody thought possible, and it is now clear that we’ve achieved the most incredible political thing,” Trump said. “Look what happened — is this crazy? But it’s a political victory that our country has never seen before, nothing like this. I want to thank the American people for the extraordinary honor of being elected your 47th president and your 45th president.”
Harris’ path to the 270 electoral votes has become less of a possibility, with most media outlets projecting Trump as the winner Wednesday morning. As of the time this article was published, Fox News, ABC, NBC, CBS, the Associated Press and Decision Desk HQ, a forecasting and analysis organization, have projected him to be the winner.
Donald Trump wins presidency for second time, completing improbable comeback https://t.co/VGPT8X5I88
Trump, who survived two assassination attempts during the campaign, was surrounded by family, Republican leaders, and his running mate Ohio Sen. JD Vance as he addressed the crowd inside the Palm Beach Convention Center around 2:30 a.m. ET Wednesday.
“America has given us an unprecedented and powerful mandate,” he told supporters. “Many people have told me that God spared my life for a reason and that reason was to save our country and to restore America to greatness and now we are going to fulfill that mission together.”
Vice President Harris, who picked up wins in California and New York, did not speak Tuesday night, Nov. 5, but earlier in the evening campaign co-chair Cedric Richmond spoke to supporters at Howard University. He said the vice president was not giving up the fight despite how the numbers were going.
“We will continue overnight to fight to make sure that every vote is counted, that every voice has spoken, so you won’t hear from the vice president tonight, but you will hear from her tomorrow,” he said. ”She will be back here tomorrow to address not only the HU family, not only to address our supporters, but to address the nation.”
Multiple news networks have confirmed Harris is slated to speak Wednesday morning. However, it is worth noting there reportedly has been no concession call yet from Harris to Trump.
Ray Bogan recaps election night from Washington
Washington is going to look a lot different in January.
Donald Trump made an extraordinary comeback. He lost the electoral and popular votes in 2020 after stinging defeats in Georgia, Arizona and Pennsylvania. This time around Trump won back both Georgia and Pennsylvania. He also took Wisconsin.
Republicans also won a majority in the Senate, with key victories in Ohio and West Virginia pushing them over the top. This will give them a key advantage as they work to confirm Trump’s cabinet picks and judicial nominations.
It’s important to remember that the majorities in Congress are razor-thin and nowhere near filibuster-proof in the Senate. So passing legislation will require bipartisanship.
The big question now is – who will be the Senate majority leader? The three candidates are John Thune from South Dakota, John Cornyn from Texas and Rick Scott from Florida.
Balance of power in Congress shifts, GOP retakes control of Senate
As Ray mentioned, the balance of power is shifting in Congress. Republicans will retake control of the Senate for the first time in four years.
The GOP flipped seats in West Virginia and Ohio, giving Republicans at least a 51-seat majority in the Senate.
In West Virginia, Republican Gov. Jim Justice is slated to replace the outgoing Sen. Joe Manchin, an independent who caucused with Democrats. In Ohio, Republican Bernie Moreno is projected by multiple outlets to defeat incumbent Democrat Sen. Sherrod Brown.
How the House of Representatives will play out remains to be seen. Republicans are hoping to retain control of the chamber.
They currently hold a slim majority, yet there are still over 100 races yet to be determined as of the time of publishing. Going into the night, Democrats needed to flip four seats to gain.
Stein wins in NC governor’s race, Republicans see victory in other states
Voters in 11 states also chose their next governors. While Republicans won big, Democrats did manage to retain power in several states.
North Carolina remained blue after the state’s Democratic attorney general, Josh Stein, beat out controversial Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson. Robinson — who made history as the first Black lieutenant governor in the state — was already trailing in the polls, but his numbers took a dive in mid-September after CNN released a report detailing comments he allegedly made on a pornography website message board more than a decade ago on race, gender and abortion.
Thank you, North Carolina! I am honored to serve as your next governor. Tonight, we came together to resoundingly embrace a vision that is optimistic, forward-looking, and welcoming. I couldn't have done this without each of you. pic.twitter.com/3eeGGTVHed
In Delaware, Democrat Matt Meyer wins the race for governor. Meyer defeated Republican Mike Ramone and will take over from two-term Democratic Gov. John Carney.
Washington state will stay blue after Attorney General Bob Ferguson beat out Republican challenger Dave Reichert for the job. The seat was up for grabs after Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee said he would not be running again after serving three terms.
Indiana went from blue to red, with Republican Mike Braun defeating Democrat Jennifer McCormick. McCormick is a former Republican who split with the party after serving as the state’s schools superintendent.
Meanwhile, Republican Missouri remained red. The state’s Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe is set to replace term-limited Republican Gov. Mike Parson.
North Dakota stayed red, as well. Kelly Armstrong is projected to succeed Gov. Doug Burgum, who also chose not to run again after serving three terms. It is possible Burgum will get a place in the Trump administration.
Republicans will now have governors in 27 states; Democrats in 23.
*Editor’s Note: This story has been updated since our recording to correct that North Carolina did not flip blue as the current governor, Roy Cooper, is a Democrat.
Voters in four states chose whether to enshrine abortion as a constitutional right. The measure did not pass in Florida, Nebraska or South Dakota, but did in Colorado and Nevada.
Nebraska voters actually had two abortion-related measures on their ballot. While the constitutional right to an abortion failed, the other measure, which would prohibit abortions after the first trimester, passed.
Five other states were deciding on the right to an abortion. The measures passed in Arizona, Maryland, Missouri, and New York and is expected to make it through in Montana.
3 newly elected senators, 1 congresswoman making history
History was made in three states on Election Day.
In Delaware, Lisa Blunt Rochester — who already made history as the first woman and first Black person to represent the state in Congress — will now become the first Black woman to represent Delaware in the U.S. Senate.
Maryland Democrat Angela Alsobrooks will be the first Black candidate to represent her state in the Senate.
We just won our Senate race! As a son of immigrants, a public school kid, I never could’ve imagined I’d get to serve as a US Senator. I’m deeply humbled and grateful to NJ and for everyone who got us here. I promise I’ll serve with honor and integrity as a public servant for all. pic.twitter.com/qpuobm9Vf3
New Jersey Democrat Andy Kim will become the first Korean-American ever elected to the Senate. At 42 years old, he’ll also be the Senate’s third youngest member.
Finally, Sarah McBride, who won Delaware’s only open House seat, will be the first openly transgender person to be elected to Congress.
Related Stories
Republicans claim Senate majority, end Democrats’ four-year hold
NBC complies with ‘equal time’ rule for Trump following Harris ‘SNL’ cameo
NBC has filed a notice with the Federal Communications Commission after Vice President Kamala Harris’ brief appearance on “Saturday Night Live” over the weekend of Nov. 2. The network provided former President Donald Trump with airtime to ensure compliance with the FCC’s equal time rule, which requires broadcasters to offer equal access to competing political candidates.
The rule dates back to the Communications Act of 1934, originally designed to ensure fairness and balanced coverage on broadcast airwaves. It requires that if a candidate is given airtime on a broadcast station, other qualified candidates must also be given equivalent opportunities.
Although there are exceptions to the rule, like appearances in news programs, interviews, or documentaries, entertainment programs can still trigger the rule.
AP Images
Harris’s appearance on “SNL” was brief, clocking in at just one minute and 30 seconds. She joined comedian Maya Rudolph in a skit where Rudolph portrayed Harris, a role she has played several times on “SNL” ahead of elections.
However, FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, a Trump-appointed senior Republican, quickly raised concerns on social media, calling it “a clear and blatant effort to evade the FCC’s Equal Time rule.”
Getty Images
NBC responded by airing Trump’s message to viewers during the NASCAR 2024 Cup playoffs on Sunday, granting him airtime to balance Harris’ cameo.
Carr later appeared on Fox News, urging the FCC to take “every single option” into account if violations are confirmed, emphasizing the need for impartiality across the board.
The equal time rule, while still enforced on broadcast stations, does not apply to cable networks, podcasts, social media or streaming services.
With more people turning to digital platforms for news and entertainment, the rule faces challenges in keeping pace with changing media consumption habits.
Critics argue this could limit its effectiveness and relevance, raising questions about its future in a digital-dominated world.
Fired Disney worker accused of hacking menus, claimed items as peanut-free
A former Disney World employee is accused of hacking the company’s online servers. According to a federal complaint, Michael Scheuer falsely claimed certain foods as peanut-free, changed prices and printed profane language.
The complaint said Scheuer was a menu production manager for Disney, but was fired in June for misconduct.
Scheuer is also accused of using a bot to attempt over 100,000 log-ons to disable at least 14 Disney employee accounts, effectively locking them out of their accounts.
Scheuer denied wrongdoing and said Disney is “attempting to frame him.” His lawyer said he has a “mental health disability” that caused a panic attack at work that led to his termination.
The complaint said Scheuer’s cyberattack, which reportedly lasted for three months, cost Disney at least $150,000.
Disney vows to resolve Iger succession in 2026 as Gorman becomes board chair
Disney is inching closer to a future without Bob Iger at the helm, although it may take a little longer than expected. Now the entertainment and theme park juggernaut says it will name its new CEO in “early 2026.”
James Gorman will take over as the Disney board’s chairman on Jan. 2, 2025, the company also announced Monday, Oct. 21. Gorman will officially step away from his executive chairman role at Morgan Stanley at the end of 2024.
Gorman is taking over the board chair role from Mark Parker, who also serves as executive chairman at Nike, which has its own troubles and recently faced a CEO shakeup. Parker served as president and CEO of Nike from 2006 to 2020. The Disney board had even asked him to consider being interim CEO in 2022, but he declined, citing his Nike workload.
There are already many rumors surrounding which internal Disney candidates are leading the race to take over for Iger. The shortlist includes Dana Walden, the co-chair of Disney Entertainment; Alan Bergman, Walden’s co-chair; Josh D’Amaro, who is head of Disney Experiences, and Jimmy Pitaro, who runs ESPN. The Succession Planning Committee says it will still “review internal candidates and external candidates.”
Iger served as CEO of Disney from 2005 to 2020. He hand-picked Bob Chapek to be his successor, but after a series of missteps and weak performance, Disney fired Chapek in 2022. Iger returned to the company and the dysfunction of the succession process caught the attention of the media and investors.
Iger’s latest tenure as CEO is set to culminate at the end of 2026 when his contract expires.
Gorman took over the Succession Planning Committee in August. He served as CEO of Morgan Stanley from 2010 to 2023. He oversaw the succession process that led to Ted Pick becoming the bank’s CEO.
“This timing reflects the progress the Succession Planning Committee and the Board are making, and will allow ample time for a successful transition before the conclusion of Bob Iger’s contract,” Gorman said of the 2026 target.
The Disney succession committee will include Parker through the rest of the year, along with GM CEO Mary Barra and lululemon CEO Calvin McDonald.
FCC chair responds to Trump’s call for CBS to lose license over Harris interview
Former President Donald Trump accused CBS of altering a “60 Minutes” interview with Vice President Kamala Harris to make her appear more presidential. Trump also demanded the network lose its broadcast license.
Posting on Truth Social and X, Trump called the incident “the greatest fraud in broadcast history,” sparking widespread debate and further straining his contentious relationship with the media.
The controversy began after a teaser for Harris’s Oct. 7 interview showed a sequence that differed slightly from the full broadcast. Trump accused CBS of editing Harris’s answers, claiming the network was deliberately enhancing her image.
In response, FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel firmly rejected Trump’s demands, stating that broadcast licenses cannot be revoked due to political disagreements. She reiterated the FCC’s commitment to free speech and media independence, calling the First Amendment “a cornerstone of our democracy.”
“We do not control CBS’s production decisions and refer questions to CBS,” the campaign said in a statement.
This is not the first time Trump has targeted a major network. He previously called for ABC’s license to be revoked after the September 2024 presidential debate. However, the FCC maintained that media freedom remains vital, regardless of political disagreements.
Disney World joins other theme parks closing ahead of Hurricane Milton
Orlando is one of the areas expected to be inundated with the most rain by Hurricane Milton, prompting a rare move by Disney World. Disney is closing its parks and hotels early Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 9, and says they will likely stay closed through Thursday, Oct. 10.
This will mark the 12th time in Disney World’s 53-year history the park will see a closure. Goldman Sachs estimates Disney will miss out on $150 million due to the storm.
