CNN’s much-anticipated sit-down interview with the 2024 Democratic presidential ticket of Vice President Kamala Harris and Minn. Gov. Tim Walz averaged 6.3 million viewers Thursday, according to data from Nielsen.
The audience size was slightly larger than a typical town hall or formal interview of a presidential or vice presidential candidate.
Harris had not done an in-depth chat with a journalist since President Biden ended his re-election campaign and endorsed the vice president on July 21.
The matter became a frequent talking point for pundits and the Republican opposition after what was widely considered a strong nominating convention last week in Chicago.
Fox News pulled 6.1 million viewers on July 15 when Sean Hannity conducted the first interview with former President Trump’s vice presidential running mate Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio).
The candidates on the Republican ticket appeared together on the July 22 edition of “Jesse Watters Tonight” after their party’s convention, drawing 4.3 million viewers.
When Harris and President Joe Biden sat down with ABC News following the Democratic National Convention in August 2020, 5.1 million viewers watched.
Trump is a frequent presence on Fox News and other conservative outlets making his appearance less of an event. The last time Trump was interviewed on CNN — in a much-maligned town hall staged on May 10, 2023 — 3.3 million viewers watched.
The hour-long CNN special with Harris and Walz contained about 17 minutes of actual conversation (the ratings measured the program from 9 p.m. to 9:50 p.m. Eastern). The candidates were taped earlier in the day while campaigning through Georgia, an important swing state in the election.
Harris answered questions from CNN anchor Dana Bash — who co-moderated the pivotal presidential debate between Trump and Biden — on a number of shifts in her policy positions since her short-lived presidential campaign in 2020. Harris also offered details on her telephone conversation with Biden the day he withdrew from the race and gave her his endorsement.
Reaction to the speech predictably broke down along partisan lines.
Anthony Scaramucci, who briefly served as White House communications director for Trump and is now an outspoken critic of the former president, said on X that Harris “did well. She is going to win.”
Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro posted, “Wow is she awful.”
Trump is set to appear in an hour-long town hall with Hannity on Wednesday. Both Trump and Harris are committed to meet Sept. 10 for their only scheduled debate in Philadelphia, moderated by ABC News anchor David Muir and Linsey Davis.