In a damning indictment of legacy media’s self-inflicted wounds, conservative journalist Christopher Rufo took to X on July 29, 2025, to spotlight CNN’s humiliating ratings collapse. Quoting Trump communications director Steven Cheung’s post mocking CNN’s “BRUTAL” numbers from the previous Wednesday—where primetime shows scraped by with under 100,000 viewers in the key demo—Rufo noted that “nontrivial number of political YouTube channels” now boast higher daily viewership than CNN’s flagship programs, at a tiny fraction of the cost. “The networks survive on brand advertising, but that, too, will eventually start to dry up,” Rufo warned.

This isn’t just a bad week; it’s the culmination of years of CNN’s relentless push of woke, leftist propaganda that’s alienated mainstream America, turning once-loyal viewers to independent voices who deliver truth without the Trump-deranged spin. CNN’s ratings freefall in 2025 has been nothing short of catastrophic, a direct backlash against their far-left agenda that prioritizes identity politics, anti-American narratives, and endless attacks on conservatives over objective journalism. Fox News, in a July 1, 2025, press release, revealed CNN’s second-quarter demo numbers hit rock bottom: just 71,000 younger viewers in total day and 105,000 in primetime—their worst quarter ever.

By June 3, CNN logged its lowest-rated week of the year, averaging a pathetic 426,000 primetime viewers, trailing even Food Network in some slots. The Washington Examiner reported in January that CNN ended 2024 with a 20% year-over-year drop, a trend accelerating into 2025 as subscribers flee. Industry insiders predict “tears on the horizon” as Warner Bros. Discovery plots a spinoff, with Kagan estimates forecasting further subscriber and ad revenue losses. This decline is no mystery—it’s the poison fruit of CNN’s woke obsession. For years, the network has served as a mouthpiece for radical leftist causes, from amplifying DEI Marxism to gaslighting Americans on issues like border security and gender ideology. As X user @PorterReporter9 posted on July 24, “CNN doesn’t try to hide that they are a mouthpiece for the DNC talking points… This is another reason CNN ratings are in the toilet.”

Their coverage reeks of bias: endless Trump-bashing, downplaying Biden-Harris failures, and promoting anti-white narratives that divide rather than inform. @KaranTJohn echoed this on July 29: “This is why @CNN ratings are in the toilet. They push a leftist, woke, and anti-white agenda.” Even attempts to pivot rightward have backfired, alienating their shrinking base without gaining conservatives who see through the facade. As @CrazyFenaker noted in May, “CNN’s attempt to pivot to the right has been a disaster. The right still hates them and now the left does too.” Specific shows bear the brunt of this viewer revolt. Jake Tapper’s “The Lead” hit its lowest ratings since 2015 in May, averaging just 95,000 demo viewers despite buzz around his Biden book. X user @ChrisDJackson mocked on May 23: “HOLY SHIT! CNN’s ratings just plunged 16% in a week… When you trade journalism for gossip and hit jobs, don’t be surprised when nobody sticks around.”

MSNBC’s Jen Psaki, another leftist darling, trails even struggling CNN in the demo, losing 44% of Rachel Maddow’s audience in her slot. Fox News dominates with 65% of cable news share, obliterating CNN’s 378,000 primetime viewers. The leftist bias fueling this exodus is blatant. CNN’s resistance-TV style during Trump’s first term morphed into full-blown propaganda, but without Trump as the daily villain, viewers tuned out. Joe Rogan, on his podcast, explained liberal media’s hemorrhaging: “You’re not accurate, you’re delusional. “Post-election, CNN lost 40-50% viewership, with X users like @PorterTIsrael decrying their normalization of MAGA hate. Incidents like cutting Tulsi Gabbard’s feed mid-speech expose their dishonesty, as

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MSNBC down 57%, NYT traffic cratered 90%. Viewers are flocking to alternatives like YouTube channels—Joe Rogan, Tim Pool, even Tucker Carlson’s independent show—that offer unfiltered truth without the woke filter. Rufo’s point hits home: These creators outdraw CNN at pennies on the dollar, proving the market rejects leftist echo chambers. As @0xKingAlex tweeted in March: “CNN’s ratings are tanking because nobody buys their bullshit anymore… a mouthpiece for the far-left.” Brand ads sustain CNN for now, but with pharma bans looming under RFK Jr., as X users speculate, the end is nigh. This decline means the death of legacy media’s stranglehold. Trump’s victory accelerated it, exposing CNN’s role in dividing America with woke poison. As

• Fox News Channel Closes in on Broadcast Networks with Wins Over CBS ABC and NBC
• Fox News Beats Broadcast Networks in Ratings as CNN Hits Lowest Rated Week Year
• Media Insiders Predict Tears on the Horizon for CNN
• MSNBC’s Jen Psaki Trails Struggling CNN in Key Demo
• CNN Drops Its Lowest New Year’s Eve Ratings in Five Years
• Jake Tapper’s CNN Show Hits Lowest Ratings Since 2015
• Americans Continue Choose Fox News Channel Network Dominates May
• Joe Rogan Explains Why Liberal Media Hemorrhaging Audiences

Ben and Lisa at Whatfinger News. Heavy use of links above. Grok edits