The third Republican primary debate on Wednesday night attracted 7.5 million viewers, marking a 21% decline from the second GOP debate held in September, as reported by Nielsen ratings.
The drop in viewership underscores the challenges of maintaining audience interest in Republican debates without the presence of former President Donald Trump on the stage.
The initial Republican debate of the 2024 presidential race, aired in August on Fox News and Fox Business, had drawn a higher viewership of 12.8 million.