The second Republican presidential debate saw a significant drop in viewership from the first.

Wednesday's debate attracted a considerable audience — 9 million viewers, according to Nielsen ratings. However, that was a full four million fewer than the 13 million who watched the first debate, even though the second debate saw a fair share of notable moments.

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Furthermore, the 9 million viewers are only a fraction of those who watched former President Donald Trump's debate debut in 2015, which drew 24 million viewers.

The major decline in viewership reflects several factors. The first and most obvious is the absence of the Republican Party's biggest viewer magnet: Trump. He sat out the first two 2024 debates and is holding a lead nearing 50 percentage points over his nearest competitor.

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However, the decline in viewers isn't explained by Trump's absence alone. The decline also reflects the decline in cable news viewership as more people turn to social media and streaming.

Trump has suggested canceling the Republican debates altogether and focusing on supporting him instead.