CNN thought their ratings couldn’t possibly get any worse.
They were dead wrong.
And CNN’s own former stars delivered one brutal assessment that left network executives white as a ghost.
CNN’s ratings crater to historic lows
The mainstream media has been hemorrhaging viewers ever since Donald Trump returned to the White House.
But CNN’s collapse has been nothing short of spectacular.
The network that once dominated cable news now finds itself gasping for air as competitors leave them in the dust.
The numbers tell the whole story – and they’re absolutely devastating.
CNN averaged a pathetic 497,000 total primetime viewership in July, according to data collected by AdWeek.¹
That’s not a typo.
Less than half a million Americans bothered to tune in during prime time hours when the network should be pulling its biggest audiences.
Compare that to Fox News, which averaged 2.41 million viewers – nearly five times CNN’s audience.²
Even MSNBC, which has been struggling with its own problems, managed to pull in 865,000 total viewers.³
CNN couldn’t even crack the 500,000 mark despite what should have been wall-to-wall coverage of major breaking news.
The network’s total day viewership was equally dismal at just 361,000 viewers.⁴
The numbers don’t just look bad – they’re historically catastrophic.
Former CNN stars twist the knife
What makes this ratings disaster even more humiliating for CNN is that their own former employees are now publicly trashing the network’s performance.
Chris Cillizza, who worked as a CNN political analyst before the network unceremoniously dumped him, didn’t mince words about the network’s collapse.
"These numbers for CNN — from @oliverdarcy— are disastrously bad," Cillizza posted on X.⁵
The timing of that assessment had to sting for CNN executives who are already scrambling to figure out how to stop the bleeding.
Oliver Darcy, who spent seven years at CNN before departing in August 2024, delivered an even more scathing analysis of why the network is failing.⁶
During a July 24 appearance on the "Sanity" podcast, Darcy argued that CNN’s attempts to soften its coverage of President Trump have backfired spectacularly.
"I think in reality, though, there’s a lot to be worried about in what’s going on in this administration," Darcy explained. "And by toning down, I’m not really sure this is the time to tone down. This is actually a very worrisome time in American politics and democracy."⁷
Darcy continued: "And so is it the time to be, I don’t know, more moderate in your tone? I don’t know, I would disagree."⁸
Darcy suggested that CNN’s "moderate" approach has alienated viewers who expect the network to maintain its anti-Trump stance.
But here’s the thing that CNN executives refuse to acknowledge – their credibility was shot long before Trump returned to office.
The real reason behind CNN’s collapse
CNN’s ratings disaster didn’t happen overnight.
The network became a megaphone for Democrat talking points against Trump.
CNN hosts and reporters threw professional standards out the window, treating every Trump tweet like a national emergency.
When Joe Biden took office, CNN lost its entire identity.
The network had defined itself entirely in opposition to Trump, and without him to attack daily, they had nothing left to offer viewers.
CNN tried to reinvent itself under new leadership, but the damage was already done.
The American people had seen behind the curtain and realized that CNN wasn’t a news network – it was a propaganda operation.
Former CNN anchor Alisyn Camerota agreed with Darcy’s assessment, with the podcast noting that CNN has "failed to take any action to increase its subscribers and ratings" since her departure in December 2024.⁹
That’s a damning indictment from someone who was part of CNN’s inner circle.
The second quarter numbers were equally brutal, with CNN averaging just 538,000 total primetime viewers – a 13% drop compared to the same period in 2024.¹⁰
Meanwhile, Fox News averaged 2.63 million total primetime viewers and MSNBC pulled in 1.08 million.¹¹
CNN has reached ratings lows not seen since 1991, back when most Americans were still getting their news from the three major broadcast networks.¹²
The collapse is so complete that CNN executives are reportedly in full panic mode behind the scenes.
Sources close to the situation say that major changes are being discussed, but it may already be too late.
When your own former employees are publicly mocking your performance, you know you’ve hit rock bottom.
The American people have spoken with their remote controls, and they’ve decided that CNN simply isn’t worth their time anymore.
¹ AdWeek, "CNN Ratings Data," July 2025.
² Ibid.
³ Ibid.
⁴ Ibid.
⁵ Chris Cillizza, X Post, July 30, 2025.
⁶ Oliver Darcy, "Status Newsletter," CNN departure announcement, August 2024.
⁷ Oliver Darcy, "Sanity Podcast," July 24, 2025.
⁸ Ibid.
⁹ Alisyn Camerota, "Sanity Podcast," July 24, 2025.
¹⁰ AdWeek, "Second Quarter Ratings Data," 2025.
¹¹ Ibid.
¹² Nicole Silverio, "CNN Hits A Rock-Bottom Not Seen Since George Bush Senior’s Presidency," Daily Caller, July 30, 2025.
