Many Fox News viewers are interested in what former President Donald Trump has to say.
Thanks to host Sean Hannity’s interview with the Republican heavyweight and 2024 presidential contender, the network’s “Hannity” received the highest ratings in its 9 p.m. time slot Monday.
The Trump interview was enough to give Hannity a 20 percent ratings boost, The Hill, reported Wednesday, citing Nielsen Media Research data.
The broadcast drew more than 3 million viewers, including 358,000 in the 25-54 age demographic coveted by advertisers.
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Trump attacked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis during the interview, continuing his strategy of denigrating the Republican considered his strongest challenger for the party’s presidential nomination.
He claimed DeSantis came to him with “tears in his eyes” in 2018 to ask for an endorsement in the gubernatorial race.
The former president also criticized Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg in the interview.
The New York prosecutor has empaneled a grand jury to investigate Trump for potential campaign finance violations, and Trump predicted in a March 18 post to his Truth Social platform that he would be arrested three days later.
“WITH NO CRIME BEING ABLE TO BE PROVEN, & BASED ON AN OLD & FULLY DEBUNKED (BY NUMEROUS OTHER PROSECUTORS!) FAIRYTALE, THE FAR & AWAY LEADING REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE & FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WILL BE ARRESTED ON TUESDAY OF NEXT WEEK,” he wrote.
“PROTEST, TAKE OUR NATION BACK!” Trump added.
Trump’s indictment would be unprecedented: No former president has been charged with or convicted of a crime in American history.
In his interview with Hannity, Trump described Bragg’s investigation as “ancient history” and said it was designed to disrupt his presidential campaign.
“Even people that don’t like me are saying this is a terrible thing to do for our country,” he said.
Hannity is one of the few national media figures who has a close relationship with the former president, having interviewed him numerous times.
Fox News has proven the unquestioned cable news ratings kingpin in the media environment following Trump’s presidency, with its liberal competitors being outright left in the dust.
The nine most viewed cable news programs in March were all Fox broadcasts, with “Tucker Carlson Tonight” knocking off “The Five” for the top spot it had held in cable news for nearly a year.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.