President Donald Trump on Thursday morning incorrectly claimed that his state of the union speech on Tuesday was the most-watched in history.
In a tweet praising Fox News’ coverage of his speech, Trump boasted that 45.6 million people watched his speech on television, claiming that it was the “highest number in history.”
Thank you for all of the nice compliments and reviews on the State of the Union speech. 45.6 million people watched, the highest number in history. @FoxNews beat every other Network, for the first time ever, with 11.7 million people tuning in. Delivered from the heart!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 1, 2018
However, 48 million viewers tuned in to President Barack Obama’s first state of the union address in 2010. Trump’s speech also trailed President Bill Clinton’s first state of the union speech and President George W. Bush’s first state of the union.
Even Fox News pointed this out Thursday morning.
#SOTU TV Viewers:
2018: 45.6M
2017: 47.7M*
2016: 31.3M
2015: 31.7M
2014: 33.3M
2013: 33.5M
2012: 37.8M
2011: 42.8M
2010: 48.0M
2009: 52.4M*
2008: 37.5M
2007: 45.5M
2006: 41.7M
2005: 38.4M
2004: 43.4M
2003: 62.1M
1993: 66.9M* (largest TV audience)*Not an official SOTU pic.twitter.com/OZlUHmGQp4
— Fox News Research (@FoxNewsResearch) February 1, 2018
Trump may have been confused while watching the “Fox and Friends” morning broadcast. Co-host Steve Doocy noted that Trump pulled in more viewers than Obama’s final state of the union, but he offered the caveat that “fewer people watch” the longer a president is in office. He then boasted about Fox News’ ratings for the speech, which were the network’s highest ever. Trump also noted this in his tweet.
Trump’s exaggeration is reminiscent of former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer’s bizarre claim that Trump’s inauguration was was most-watched “both in person and around the globe.”
