America is tuned in to the January 6 hearings, and Tuesday’s last-minute add [1] to the schedule brought in record numbers (Los Angeles Times [2]):
More than 13 million Americans tuned in to watch bombshell testimony [3] from a former White House aide this week, making the Jan. 6 committee’s latest hearing its second-most-viewed thus far.
The Tuesday afternoon hearing, which the committee announced just a day ahead of time, featured 25-year-old Cassidy Hutchinson, who served as an aide to former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows.
That’s astounding!
And the numbers covered only major networks – ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, FNC, and MSNBC. Millions more streamed through countless other venues.
The opening hearing had more than 20 million major network viewers when it aired during primetime on June 9. The following four daytime hearings have exceeded 11 million which is extraordinary.
But Tuesday’s hearing was totally unexpected with less than 24 hours’ notice to the viewing audience. All had expected that the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol would not resume until mid-July, breaking for the July 4th holiday when Congress is in a two-week recess. On Monday, however, an urgently worded schedule addition was posted by the 1/6 Committee, noting they would “present recently obtained evidence and receive witness testimony.”
With more than 13 million viewers under those conditions, Tuesday was a ratings smash … and the response has been the trolls and attacks that have come out of the Trump camp. Unsubstantiated rebuttals from anonymous sources, none of them under oath and none of them made before the committee, have been slung against a 25-year-old staffer who was under oath and spoke before the committee. Unsubstantiated attacks have also been slung against those supporting Republican Rep. Liz Cheney and Rep. Adam Kinzinger in their work on the committee.
It is worth noting those numbers would be much higher if the many streaming services were not available. At the same time, streaming affords access for those who are not able to watch on TV.
Background:
–Bearing Drift colleague D.J. McGuire weighs in here: January 6 Was An Attempted Coup. [4]
-Rep. Liz Cheney addressed the Reagan Presidential Library’s “A Time For Choosing” audience Wednesday night with big applause. It is worth listening to her entire remarks in addition to the outtakes that have been shown: Liz Cheney’s “A Time For Choosing” Speech at Reagan Library – June 29, 2022 [5]