An estimated 26.2 million viewers tuned in on Thursday, the last night of the Democratic National Convention, a figure that one ex-White House aide to former President Donald Trump called “a big deal.”
The four-day convention in Chicago, which was joined by thousands of supporters and delegates, closed out with Vice President Kamala Harris‘ keynote address, where she became the first Black and Asian American woman to accept the presidential nomination for a major political party. The week featured several big-name speakers as well, from Hollywood stars like Mindy Kaling to notable Democratic leaders like former President Barack Obama and ex-first lady Michelle Obama.
According to data from the ratings company Nielsen, 21.8 million viewers tuned into the DNC on average across all four nights. During Harris’ acceptance speech, which lasted around 40 minutes, around 28.9 million viewers were watching on average.
The DNC’s ratings outshone the Republican National Convention in July. According to Nielsen’s report, the GOP garnered just over 19 million viewers on average across its four days of programming. Harris also slightly outdid Trump during their acceptance speeches—the viewership for the former president’s keynote address peaked around 28.4 million.
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“I know Donald Trump was not happy about that,” said Alyssa Farah Griffin, who served who served as White House director of strategic communications under Trump’s administration.
“It’s a big deal,” Griffin added while appearing on CNN‘s The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer. “I think it speaks to that six in 10 Americans who didn’t want the Biden-Trump rematch. Now, there’s someone new, there’s someone energizing. There’s someone who would be historic if she wins.”
Harris’ entry into the 2024 race has brought a wave of momentum to the Democratic Party, which was once slightly trailing Trump while President Joe Biden was still atop the ticket.
Before Biden stepped aside as the Democratic presidential nominee on July 21, polling found that a majority of Americans didn’t want a rematch between Trump and Biden. In one January poll by Reuters, around 67 percent of respondents said they were “tired of seeing the same candidates in presidential elections and want someone new.”
Griffin also praised the DNC for being “a well orchestrated convention that was a mixture of different kinds of policies, a mix of national security, having speakers from all over the country.”
“I think it held viewers’ attention,” she told CNN. “But 75 days [until Election Day] is a long time. Donald Trump is a master at reclaiming the spotlight and getting eyeballs back on him.”
Trump reacted to Harris’ speech live over his Truth Social account, and repeatedly bashed the vice president on her promised border policies, writing in one post, “Why didn’t she do something about the things of which she complains?”
He also called Fox News immediately after Harris’ speech, telling the network, “She could have done it 3 1/2 years ago. She could do it tonight by leaving the auditorium and going to Washington, D.C., and closing the border.”
Newsweek reached out to Trump’s campaign via email for additional comment Friday night.