67 million watched first Harris-Trump debate, blowing past Biden matchup
CNNNew York CNN — The first presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump drew an estimated 67.1 million viewers across 17 television networks — blowing well past the 51 million who watched the Republican nominee take on President Joe Biden in June. While Tuesday’s debate drew the largest television audience of the year for a non-sports event, it represented a drop in total audience from 2020, when more than 73 million people watched the first debate between Trump and Biden across all television networks. During Tuesday night’s debate, moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis fact-checked Trump in real-time, correcting the record at least three times as millions watched at home, drawing fierce backlash from Trump and his allies. Following the broadcast, Trump assailed the network over the fact-checks, calling ABC “the most dishonest news organization, and that’s saying a lot.” The former president, who made at least 33 false claims during the debate, repeatedly insisted the event “was three on one” and suggested Disney’s FCC broadcast licenses should be revoked due to the moderators’ conduct.