To finally take down the bully on the block, Fox News, all MSNBC needs is for a convicted felon — who’s admitted to, among a long list of crimes, lying to Congress — to get in front of Congress every day and say things Democrats want to hear about President Trump.
Trump’s former fixer-turned-“snitch” Michael Cohen’s headline-consuming appearance in front of the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday gave MSNBC its biggest non-election day ratings ever — and even helped the left-leaning network beat out the right-leaning Fox News, which has dominated the cable news competition for years to progressives’ open frustration.
MSNBC enjoyed “its highest-rated day” in its history apart from the last three presidential election days. It also managed to surpass Fox News, a rare feat, by some 400,000 daytime viewers and led in the 25-54 demographic during the day. Forbes reports:
According to ratings data released Thursday by Nielsen, MSNBC finished first among total viewers from 9 a.m. ET, before the Cohen testimony began, to 5 p.m., the network’s highest-rated daytime performance ever. MSNBC drew a total daytime audience of 2.652 million, ahead of Fox News Channel’s 2.252 million and CNN’s 2.011 million. Among viewers 25-54, the demographic most coveted by advertisers, CNN led in daytime, with 554,000. MSNBC was second with 421,000 followed by Fox, with 369,000.
The network also won the prime time competition, with “The Rachel Maddow Show” edging out “Hannity” by over 100,000 viewers and securing the title of most-watched cable show among total viewers:
In prime time, MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show dominated the 9 p.m. hour, leading all of cable news among total viewers (3.839 million), and finishing first in the demo with 818,000 viewers. Maddow Fox News Channel’s Hannity, with host Sean Hannity reporting from Vietnam, finished second with 3.705 million total viewers and 698,000 viewers 25-54.
That the left-leaning MSNBC performed well on Wednesday is no surprise given the media circus surrounding what was sure to be a Trump-bashing good time delivered by Cohen, who’s getting ready to head to prison for three years — but not before sticking it to the man he once declared he’d “take a bullet” for.
“I am here under oath to correct the record, to answer the Committee’s questions truthfully, and to offer the American people what I know about President Trump,” Cohen told the committee in his prepared opening statement Wednesday. “I recognize that some of you may doubt and attack me on my credibility. It is for this reason that I have incorporated into this opening statement documents that are irrefutable, and demonstrate that the information you will hear is accurate and truthful.”
“Never in a million years did I imagine, when I accepted a job in 2007 to work for Donald Trump, that he would one day run for president, launch a campaign on a platform of hate and intolerance, and actually win,” he continued. “I regret the day I said ‘yes’ to Mr. Trump. I regret all the help and support I gave him along the way. I am ashamed of my own failings, and I publicly accepted responsibility for them by pleading guilty in the Southern District of New York. I am ashamed of my weakness and misplaced loyalty — of the things I did for Mr. Trump in an effort to protect and promote him. I am ashamed that I chose to take part in concealing Mr. Trump’s illicit acts rather than listening to my own conscience.”
Cohen went on to allege that his former boss — whom he has repeatedly, enthusiastically praised in media appearances in the past, that is, before the FBI raided his home and offices — is a full-fledged “racist” and “con man.” Needless to say, the Democrats and their allies in the left-leaning media, ate it up.
Though Cohen vowed to “correct the record” and be utterly “truthful,” this time, to Congress, he was referred Thursday by two Republican congressmen to the Justice Department for perjury during his testimony.
Related: Cohen Vows To Be ‘Truthful’ To Congress, Ends Up Getting Referred To Justice Dept. For Lying