In a stinging rebuke to both CNN and its long-time anchor Jake Tapper, American viewers delivered a clear verdict in May: they’re tuning out the liberal media echo chamber in record numbers.
Despite a highly publicized book tour and wall-to-wall promotion from his own network, Tapper just recorded his worst ratings in nearly a decade, proving once again that no amount of spin can save CNN from its credibility crisis—or the American public’s growing distrust.
Tapper, along with Axios reporter Alex Thompson, co-authored “Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again,” a book that makes the stunning claim that the White House has actively concealed President Biden’s cognitive struggles. But even a half-hearted attempt at truth-telling wasn’t enough to salvage Tapper’s sinking ship.
From April 28 to May 25, *The Lead with Jake Tapper* averaged just 525,000 viewers, losing a staggering 25% of CNN’s audience from the same period last year. It’s the anchor’s lowest-rated month since August 2015, and a sign that even when CNN tries to pivot slightly toward accountability, Americans simply aren’t buying it.
Compare that with **Fox News**, which continues to dominate the cable landscape. *The Five* and *Special Report with Bret Baier* averaged a commanding **3.3 million viewers** in the same time frame—**over six times** Tapper’s audience. Even **MSNBC**, no stranger to left-wing spin, more than doubled CNN’s ratings with over **one million viewers**.
Tapper’s cratering viewership translated to just **11% of total cable news audience share** during his time slot, while Fox News grabbed **68%**, and MSNBC pulled in **21%**. The numbers don’t lie—Americans are fed up with CNN’s stale, scripted narratives and are flocking to networks that actually reflect their values and concerns.
And it gets worse. Among adults aged 25-54—the demographic advertisers care most about—Tapper brought in a meager **95,000 viewers**, a **15% drop** from last year. That’s not just a problem for Tapper—it’s a signal that **CNN’s brand is collapsing** across the board.
May was also CNN’s **second-worst month ever** in that key demo, both in total-day and primetime viewership. While the network continues to promote itself as a serious source of journalism, Americans seem to be tuning it out in droves—and who can blame them?
To make matters more ironic, Tapper has lately tried to reposition himself as a truth-teller, admitting he didn’t press hard enough on Biden’s obvious decline and even comparing the cover-up to **Watergate**. But it’s too little, too late.
In classic fashion, CNN attempted to spin the disaster, claiming Nielsen ratings don’t account for Tapper’s supposed “global reach” across streaming platforms and international audiences. In other words, **don’t trust the numbers—trust CNN**.
Sorry, Jake. Americans have made up their minds, and no amount of global streaming fluff or anti-Biden backpedaling is going to save CNN from the irrelevance it’s earned.
**Bottom line:** The American people are tuning out the liberal media, and CNN’s collapse is just the beginning.
