Staff Reports
Vice President J.D. Vance has become a sensation among conservatives, while CNN continues its slow descent into irrelevance. The contrast couldn’t be more stark; one is celebrating the heights of political popularity, while the other languishes in the depths of despair, struggling to maintain viewers. Vance was met with thunderous applause at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), following a stirring speech in Munich that exemplified his rising star status within the MAGA movement.
Conversely, CNN has become a punchline, especially when Vance made a joke that summed up the network’s struggles. While chatting with Mercedes Schlapp at CPAC, he pointed out that improving CNN’s sagging ratings has been one of President Trump’s greatest unfulfilled tasks. The remark drew laughter from the crowd, emphasizing just how out of touch CNN has become with its audience. Schlapp piled on, reflecting on the dizzying pace of the Trump administration’s accomplishments compared to the network’s plummeting viewership.
Recent reports note CNN’s viewership has shrunk dramatically. With a 4 percent drop over just one week and a staggering 28 percent decline from the previous year, CNN has somehow managed to rank a distant third behind Fox News and MSNBC. For a network once touted as a leader in news, those numbers paint a picture of a failed brand desperately trying to appeal to a demographic that appears to be tuning out, particularly the key 25-54 age group.
Watch: JD Vance Buries CNN as He Discusses 'The One Thing the President Has Been Unable to Do': “We've had maybe more executive orders than CNN has viewers.” https://t.co/1wfrldfh15 pic.twitter.com/rPUezU8Anq
— The Western Journal (@WestJournalism) February 20, 2025
For all their efforts to attract Trump’s detractors, it seems CNN’s strategy has backfired spectacularly. Token conservative voice Scott Jennings has emerged as a prominent figure, but instead of drawing in anti-Trump liberals, he might actually drive them away. Those who tune in for common sense are likely to flee like vampires from sunlight. Meanwhile, the hard-hitting Trump haters seeking drama have already found a more welcoming home on MSNBC, leaving CNN in a bit of a bind.
While CNN nervously thinks about how to reinvigorate its brand, Vance marches forward, unabashed and unchallenged by the left’s futile attempts to undermine him. His Munich speech called out authoritarianism in Europe, aligning perfectly with the MAGA movement’s insistence on a strong, America-first foreign policy. As the audience at CPAC roared in approval, it became abundantly clear that America is ready to embrace leaders who boldly and effectively communicate the spirit of conservatism. CNN, on the other hand, has to figure out how to stay afloat amid a sea of dissatisfaction, not a job most would envy.
