Impeachment Circus: Who's Watching The Camera Show?

The impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump opened with a montage of the most horrifying moments from the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. While some people may have watched the impeachment proceedings on TV, others may have viewed them via livestreams or on other networks like PBS and C-Span. The number of Americans who watched Trump's impeachment hearings was lower than that of Nixon's, and some journalists and pundits criticized the hearings for being boring or lacking pizazz. However, others argued that the impeachment hearings should not be measured by their entertainment value but by their ability to investigate and hold the president accountable for alleged wrongdoing.

Trump's impeachment hearing viewership falls short of Nixon's

The viewership for the first public hearing of Donald Trump's impeachment trial drew approximately 13 million viewers, according to preliminary Nielsen figures. This figure pales in comparison to the 1973 Senate Watergate hearings, which saw tens of millions of Americans tune in during primetime. The difference in timing is important to note, as Trump's impeachment hearings began at 10 a.m. ET and ran through the daytime when most Americans are at work.

While live TV viewership for Trump's impeachment hearings may not tell the whole story, with many possibly opting to watch via livestreams or other television networks like PBS and C-Span, it is still significantly lower than other major recent congressional hearings. For instance, former FBI Director James Comey's testimony in June 2017 received 19.6 million live TV viewers, and Christine Blasey Ford's testimony against Brett Kavanaugh garnered 20 million viewers in September 2018. Even Michael Cohen, Trump's former fixer, attracted 16 million live TV viewers when he testified in February 2019.

The lower viewership of Trump's impeachment hearings has sparked concern among some journalists and pundits, who worry that the hearings are "boring" or lack "pizazz." However, others argue that the impeachment hearings are not meant to be measured by their entertainment value but by their ability to investigate and hold the president accountable for any alleged wrongdoing.

The contrast in viewership between Trump's impeachment hearings and the Watergate hearings can be attributed to several factors, including the difference in timing and the evolution of the media landscape. In 1973, during a three-network TV universe, it was easier to capture a large audience. Today, younger viewers are migrating away from linear TV, dropping cable subscriptions in favour of streaming video, and consuming content through video highlights and social media posts.

Trump's supporters chant bullshit in response to impeachment

In May 2024, former President Donald Trump held a rally in Wildwood, New Jersey, where he launched vulgar attacks on his opponents and encouraged crude chants from his supporters. Trump, who is on trial for making a hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016, referred to the Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin Bragg, as "fat Alvin," and called him "radical" and "corrupt." He also criticised the judge presiding over his trial, claiming that he was "highly conflicted."

Trump then turned his attention to the impeachment proceedings, stating that he had been indicted "more than the great Al Capone... on bullshit, too." This prompted his supporters to chant "Bullshit! Bullshit! Bullshit!" in response, showing their agreement with Trump's characterisation of the impeachment as baseless.

Trump continued his typical attacks on the Biden administration, asking the crowd: "Everything they touch turns to what?" The crowd responded with "Shit!" to which Trump jokingly replied, "You can't use that kind of language."

This rally in New Jersey is not the first time Trump has encouraged crude and divisive chants from his supporters. At a 2024 campaign rally in Indiana, Pennsylvania, Trump made inflammatory claims about immigrants, stating that some states were being "inundated" with migrants and that some cities will "never be the same." He specifically referred to the city of Springfield, Ohio, which has become a focal point due to baseless claims that residents' pets are being eaten by Haitian migrants. Trump's rhetoric whipped up his supporters, who chanted "Send them back!" in response.

Trump's encouragement of such chants and his own vulgar language have been widely criticised. His reference to "remigration" has been called "ethnic cleansing" by some, and his rallies have been described as "some dark, twisted bullshit." Despite this, Trump continues to enjoy support from his base, who enthusiastically join in the chants and rhetoric.

Trump's impeachment trial opens with a montage of the Capitol attack

On February 9, 2021, the second impeachment trial of Donald Trump, the 45th president of the United States, began with a montage of the Capitol attack. The trial was televised on all major US broadcast and cable television networks, as well as streamed online by Facebook and Twitter. The trial was unique in that it was the first impeachment trial of a former president, with Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton, and Trump himself having been the subjects of prior impeachment trials.

The trial opened with a video montage of the Capitol attack, which took place on January 6, 2021. Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in an attempt to prevent the tabulation of votes and protest against Joe Biden's win. The attack resulted in five deaths, including a Capitol Police officer, and the discovery of several improvised explosive devices. The video footage showed Trump supporters gathering on the Capitol's east and west sides, including on the inaugural platform constructed for Biden's inauguration.

The House of Representatives of the 117th US Congress adopted one article of impeachment against Trump for "incitement of insurrection", stating that he incited the attack on the Capitol. The trial in the Senate was scheduled to start on February 9, with 57 senators ultimately voting "guilty" and 43 voting "not guilty", resulting in Trump's acquittal on February 13, 2021.

Trump's lawyers argue his words are common political rhetoric

During the impeachment trial of former US President Donald Trump, his lawyers argued that his words to his supporters who attacked the US Capitol were common political rhetoric. They claimed that his use of the phrase "fight like hell" was figurative and did not incite violence. To support this, they presented a video montage showing Senate Democrats using the word "fight" in their political speeches without inciting violence. The lawyers accused the Democrats of "rank hypocrisy" and manipulating videos to make it seem like Trump incited the violence. They also argued that Trump's words were protected by the First Amendment and that the trial itself was unconstitutional because Trump was no longer in office.

Trump's lawyers also argued that the former president had asked participants in the January 6 march and demonstration at the US Capitol to be peaceful. They suggested that some of the rioters were members of Antifa and other left-leaning extremist groups. They further claimed that the Democrats were driven by hatred for Trump and were trying to inflame their followers to commit aggressive acts.

In response to the lawyers' arguments, Democratic prosecutors argued that Trump's supporters were primed for violence and that he intentionally egged them on. They also noted that Trump had falsely claimed for months that the presidential election was stolen, which contributed to the insurrection.

The impeachment trial of Donald Trump attracted significant attention and debate, with both sides presenting their arguments and interpretations of the events leading up to the Capitol riot.

Trump's impeachment hearing deemed boring by journalists

The first day of former President Donald Trump's televised impeachment hearing in the House of Representatives was labelled "boring" by journalists and supporters of the former president. Trump himself claimed he was too busy to watch the hearing, which focused on his alleged pressuring of Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and a conspiracy theory related to the 2016 presidential election.

Trump's press secretary, Stephanie Grisham, called the hearing a sham and a colossal waste of taxpayer time and money, echoing the sentiment expressed by the former president, who referred to it as a witch hunt and a hoax. Grisham also emphasised that Trump was working and meeting with Turkey's leader, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, at the time.

Trump's allies and supporters in the hearing room, including his son Eric and Republican congressmen, joined the chorus of criticism, describing the testimony as "boring". The hearing was chaired by Rep. Adam Schiff, a Democrat from California, and featured testimony from acting U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, William Taylor, and senior State Department official, George Kent.

Top Republicans in the House, including Rep. John Ratcliffe of Texas, dismissed the hearing as uneventful, claiming that no new information emerged to justify impeaching the president. Ratcliffe characterised the proceedings as a policy difference between Trump and a few individuals in the State Department, predicting that the American people would find the hearing uninteresting.

Despite Trump's assertion that he did not watch the hearing, he actively promoted tweets by his allies criticising the process and retweeted their comments throughout the day.

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