According to early data from Nielsen, this year’s ceremony pulled in about 2.65 million viewers on CBS, making it the smallest audience in the event’s TV history. That’s a steep 35% drop from 2024, when roughly 4.1 million people tuned in.
The big change this year? Trump served as host, becoming the first sitting U.S. president to do so.
To be fair, timing may have worked against the show. It aired on a Tuesday night, December 23, just two days before Christmas — a night when many viewers were busy traveling, shopping, or attending holiday events. The broadcast was also taped earlier in the month and shown on a delay, which may have reduced urgency to watch live.
Still, ratings are Trump’s favorite measuring stick, and he had made the hosting role a big deal. Before the ceremony, Trump publicly claimed that the Kennedy Center board and “just about everybody else in America” wanted him to host. He even joked on social media that if audiences loved him, he might quit the presidency to become a full-time MC.
Based on the numbers, that scenario seems unlikely.
While the low viewership can’t be blamed entirely on Trump, the ratings don’t support the idea that his presence boosted interest. And for his supporters, there’s a silver lining: it looks like Trump will be sticking with politics — not award shows — for the foreseeable future.
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