Trump Needs TV Ratings More Than Endorsements

Jonathan Bernstein: “As he seeks the nomination, Trump will need to demonstrate that he is the ultimate Republican newsmaker. That pressure is also probably why we have seen him become increasingly extreme in his rhetoric, coming closer to fully endorsing QAnon conspiracy theories and falsely claiming election fraud in the midterms even when the candidates involved responsibly conceded defeat.”

“It might work, at least when it comes to recapturing the support of Republican media and party figures who are afraid to take on the talk-show hosts and cable networks. Fox News did cut away from Trump’s lengthy speech Tuesday evening, but mainly to go to analysts in the studio who  praised the event. Trump might have lost the unconditional backing of Fox News, but he will continue to get airtime as long as viewers tune in.”

“Whatever that says about Trump’s weakness and his capacity to recover from it, the whole episode demonstrates the power of conservative media within the party. But a party that allows ratings to drive political decisions will find it hard to get elected and almost impossible to govern.”