Which TV News Hosts had the Biggest Influence on Election Night?
As soon as the first exit polls were released, some of the greatest TV hosts in the country had to alter their Election Night preparations.
Numerous hours had been devoted to sorting through what was expected to be a close contest as part of the early preparations for election coverage. During the evening, Vice President Kamala Harris' purported support among "Blue Wall" states including Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania dissolved, while former President Donald Trump swiftly emerged as the next president.
According to preliminary Nielsen figures that could alter later in the day, Fox News Channel had the largest audience, followed by ABC News and MSNBC. The anchors had to maintain composure throughout the late afternoon and early morning hours and hold off on telling the entire narrative until the exact figures arrived.
However, by using historical voting totals, county by county across the United States, they were able to observe a narrative developing that demonstrated how Harris' victories were falling short of the milestones set by President Joe Biden in 2020. It was up to the correspondents and anchors below, along with many of their colleagues, to strike a balance between the hard, cold numbers and the developing story.
Bret Baier, Martha MacCallum and Sean Hannity
Although Baier and MacCallum are seasoned Election Night veterans, Fox News Channel's voter-data machinery frequently put them in front of important state calls. Around 1:20 a.m. ET, the pair called Pennsylvania for Trump and informed viewers that Harris' chances of winning the presidency had "vanished." Prior to Fox News' own decision desk, opinion host Sean Hannity caused a stir when he told viewers earlier in the evening that he was certain Trump would win Georgia and North Carolina. As it happens, he was right.
Chris Christie
In his capacity as an analyst at ABC News, which garnered more viewers on Election Night than any other broadcast network, the former governor of New Jersey offers a unique perspective. His experience as a state leader and as a Republican presidential primary candidate gave him valuable knowledge that enabled him to explain to viewers what to anticipate under a Trump administration. Christie implied during one segment of ABC's coverage that Trump would likely have just two years to implement his new agenda before new candidates would begin to emerge for the 2028 election.
NewsNation
As the first mainstream TV news channel to declare the election for Trump, the upstart Nexstar cable news program caused a stir on election night by referencing data from Decision Desk HQ. Taking the lead? Chris Cuomo, who has rapidly emerged as a network face.
Joy Reid and Steve Kornacki
Throughout the progressive news network's election coverage, MSNBC staple Kornacki worked hard and made sure to explain what was occurring and why, even if the audience probably didn't want to hear it. Additionally, he had the opportunity to star in his own program, a "Kornacki-cam" that was posted on MSNBC's YouTube account and the Peacock streaming service. Late in the proceedings, Reid explained to her colleagues why Harris had lost: "Kamala Harris was supported by Black voters. Voters who were white women did not.
Lester Holt
Holt has worked with NBCUniversal for almost 25 years. During his last segments of the nightly newscast, Holt has gained enough gravitas to offer some comments to "NBC Nightly News" viewers. He advised some of his colleagues on Election Night not to declare the race for Trump until all the required number of votes had been cast. Around 11 p.m., Holt reprimanded other set members for beginning to talk as though everything had already been determined. He warned, "This is starting to sound like a post-mortem."
O'Donnell, Norah
O'Donnell headed a group that included Gayle King, Ed O'Keefe, Major Garrett, and Anthony Salvanto as he provided critical and serious coverage of the election on CBS News. Although she is likely to depart her position at "CBS Evening News," viewers can definitely anticipate seeing her again during significant national events like elections.
Williams, Brian
For the first time since leaving his MSNBC program in late 2021, the NBC News veteran returned to hosting responsibilities. He appeared on Amazon's Prime Video with a number of well-known faces, including Candy Crowley, Don Lemon, Abby Huntsman, and Poppy Harlow. Although the show mostly focused on conversation rather than graphics or important race calls, it implied that the streaming behemoth had new goals for live events.
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