Ross Douthat's Trump Interview Draws 7.8 Million — Without an NFL Lead-In

Ross Douthat's debut interview with President Donald Trump drew 7.8 million viewers on Sunday's "60 Minutes" — the show's best performance this season without an NFL game as a lead-in, but a steep drop from recent football-boosted broadcasts.

The eighth episode of the season pulled 918,000 viewers in the 25-to-54 demographic, the group advertisers pay the most to reach. That overall figure marked a 26% decline from the previous week, when an NFL lead-in drove 11 million viewers to the program. The demo audience fell 69% from the previous year, when the show drew nearly 2 million viewers aged 25 to 54.

Both comparison episodes aired after NFL games. Sunday's did not.

Who is Ross Douthat and what did he ask?

Douthat joined "60 Minutes" as part of a sweeping overhaul of the program. He pressed Trump on the losses Republicans suffered in the recent midterm elections. He also asked the president whether he believed he would go to heaven or hell, and whether he could refrain from taunting and insulting his opponents if it meant doing something for the greater good of the nation.

The literati noticed. Fox News commentator Brit Hume and CNN media analyst Brian Stelter both praised the interview.

What do the numbers show?

The ratings picture is mixed:

• 7.8 million total viewers, down 26% from the previous week's 11 million
• 918,000 viewers aged 25 to 54, down 69% year over year
• The week-earlier episode averaged nearly 10.5 million overall and 2.23 million in the demo — declines of 30% and 59%, respectively

In a season when the program has struggled to attract viewers without professional football preceding it, Sunday's numbers stand as the highest generated without an NFL lead-in.

Why is '60 Minutes' under pressure?

CBS News overhauled the program in what insiders described as haphazard fashion at the end of last season, despite a 9% uptick in overall viewership. Bari Weiss, CBS News' editor in chief, ousted executive producer Tanya Simon, a veteran with years of history at the show. Her replacement is Nick Bilton, a journalist and screenwriter with less formal television experience.

Correspondents Scott Pelley, Cecilia Vega and Sharyn Alfonsi were pushed out. Anderson Cooper left of his own volition after his contract ended.

The replacements — Douthat plus contributors such as Ariel Levy and Sebastian Junger — bring top-shelf backgrounds in print and long-form writing, but little experience producing weekly television built on enterprise journalism. Sunday's telecast also featured Trevor Phillips, recently named senior global affairs correspondent, interviewing far-right National Rally leader Marine Le Pen amid protests by French citizens.

What does this change for the show?

The episode suggests Douthat can generate the kind of conversation that draws attention from media elites. Whether that attention converts to sustained ratings without football lead-ins remains the central question for a program still finding its footing after one of the most turbulent resets in its history.