Laura Ingraham's Fox News Debut Beats MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell in Ratings

The Fox News debut of "The Ingraham Angle" yielded big returns Monday, with the first ratings numbers from Nielsen giving host Laura Ingraham a commanding lead over her rivals at CNN and MSNBC.

The new 10 p.m. ET show drew 3.27 million viewers overall, with 622,000 in the advertiser-coveted 25-54 year-old demographic.

In what could be a bit of troubling news however, last night's data showed MSNBC coming in a close second among the key demo. "Last Word With Lawrence O'Donnell" took in 612,000 viewers there, and placed a more-distant second overall with roughly 2.6 million total viewers.

Also Read: Cable News Ratings: Sean Hannity Beats Rachel Maddow in 1st Month of Head-to-Head Competition

"CNN Tonight" had 1.34 million total viewers, with 511,000 between ages 25 and 54.

Though she's been a frequent guest on the network, it's Ingraham's first time in the driver's seat of her own show on Fox News Channel.

As is the host's custom, Ingraham's inaugural episode is already drawing some of the web's ire over an interview with White House Chief of Staff John Kelly.

Also Read: Former Clinton Campaign Head John Podesta Calls Out Trump: 'I'm the Victim of a Big Lie'

As the two discussed Civil War history, the former Marine general dropped a bit of revisionism that set the Internet ablaze.

"Robert E. Lee was an honorable man. He was a man that gave up his country to fight for his state, which 150 years ago was more important than country," Kelly told Ingraham. "It was always loyalty to state first in those days. Now it's different today."

Also Read: Sean Hannity Rips Ex-House Speaker John Boehner: 'I'm Sorry You Are Bitter And u Failed!'

He offered further reflections on the causes of the Civil War that draw widespread criticism online.

"The lack of an ability to compromise led to the Civil War and men and women of good faith on both sides made their stand where their conscience had them make their stand," he added.

15 Stars Who Imagined Violence Against Donald Trump, From Kathy Griffin to Pearl Jam (Photos)

Since the election, several celebrities have voiced their displeasure -- even anger -- with the Trump administration. Some have gone so far as to suggest violent measures. From Robert De Niro to Snoop Dogg, here are some left-leaning noteworthy people who have fanned themes of violence toward Trump and the GOP.
Getty Images
Mickey Rourke

In a TMZ video from 2015, this boxer-turned-actor directed his rage toward Trump, calling him a "big-mouthed bitch bully," saying he would "love 30 seconds in a room with the little bitch." Rourke has also expressed a desire to "give [Trump] a Louisville slugger."

Also Read: Mickey Rourke Calls Donald Trump ‘Biggest Scumbag on the Planet’ (Video)
Getty Images
Larry Wilmore

In late February 2016, the host of Comedy Central's now-canceled "The Nightly Show" joked about then-candidate Donald Trump: “I don’t want to give him any more oxygen. That’s not a euphemism, by the way. I mean it literally. Somebody get me the pillow they used to kill [Supreme Court Justice Antonin] Scalia and I’ll do it — I’ll do it!"
George Lopez

During the Republican primaries in March 2016, the Mexican American comedian tweeted a cartoon image of former Mexican president Vincente Fox holding the decapitated head of Donald Trump aloft, with the caption "Make America Great Again."
Marilyn Manson

Shock-rocker Marilyn Manson had to take his turn in the Trump-bashing festivities. In a teaser video for his song, "Say10," released just after the 2016 election, a Trump-like figure wearing a suit and a red tie lies decapitated on a concrete floor, in a pool of his own blood.
Getty Images
Rosie O'Donnell

In July 2017, O'Donnell tweeted out a link to a game called "Push Trump Off A Cliff Again." This made many conservatives want to push her off a cliff, not POTUS.

Also Read: Rosie O’Donnell Draws Fire for Tweeting ‘Push Trump Off a Cliff’ Game
Getty Images
Madonna

Madonna told a crowd of thousands at the Women's March on Washington in January 2017 that she had “thought an awful lot about blowing up the White House." The singer's profanity-riddled jab at the Republican administration provoked the anger of many conservatives.

Also Read: Madonna Thought About ‘Blowing Up the White House,’ Unloads F-Bombs in Speech (Video)
Getty Images
Robert De Niro

The actor is not afraid to express his disdain for the commander in chief. De Niro confirmed to ABC's "The View" in February 2017 that he would like to punch Trump in the face. He clarified earlier comments, saying "It wasn’t like I was gonna go find him and [really] punch him in the face, but he’s gotta hear it."

Also Read: Robert De Niro Doubles Down on Trump Rant: ‘Of Course I Want to Punch Him’ (Video)
Brigitte Lacombe/Film Society of Lincoln Center
Snoop Dogg

Snoop Dogg's music video for "Lavender," released in March 2017, (literally) paints POTUS as a clown and orchestrates his death. At the video's end, the "Gin and Juice" rapper points a gun at the harlequin Trump figure and shoots. But instead of a bullet, a red flag that reads "Bang!" fires out of the gun.

Also Read: Watch Snoop Dogg Shoot ‘F—ing Clown’ Dressed as Trump in New Music Video
Getty Images
Kathy Griffin

The comedian landed in hot water in May 2017 after photos surfaced of her holding a fake bloody, decapitated Trump head. Griffin was promptly dropped from her annual New Year's Eve gig by CNN. Toilet stool company Squatty Potty also pulled its ads featuring Griffin. Trump himself called the photos "sick" and tweeted that his youngest son, Barron, was "having a hard time" with the images. Griffin later apologized.

Also Read: Kathy Griffin Comedy Shows Canceled Over Trump Photo (Report)
Tyler Shields
NYC Public Theater's "Julius Caesar"

The nonprofit theater staged a modern adaptation of Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" in May-June 2017 that made conservative viewers want to revolt. In the production, a Trumplike figure playing the title role is stabbed to death by a band of angry Senators. The Public Theater subsequently lost sponsorships from Delta Airlines and Bank of America.

Also Read: ‘Julius Caesar’ Theater Review: Trump and the Bard Both Assassinated in Bloody Debacle
Joan Marcus
Moby

The musician's new video, released in June 2017, is simultaneously nostalgic and dystopian. In 1980s cartoon fashion, a giant Transformer-like Trump morphs into a swastika/dollar sign and wreaks havoc on a city before meeting a fiery, explosive demise.

Also Read: Moby Explodes Swastika-Dollar Sign Trump in New Video
Getty Images
Johnny Depp

During an appearance at the U.K.'s 2017 Glastonbury music and arts festival, the actor tore into the president -- "I think Trump needs help" -- and then made an ill-considered joke: “When was the last time an actor assassinated a president?” Depp claimed his joke was misconstrued and eventually issued an apology.

Also Read: Johnny Depp on Trump: ‘When Was the Last Time an Actor Assassinated a President?’ (Video)
Getty Images
Anthony Bourdain

Asked what he'd serve at a peace summit between President Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, the celebrity chef told a TMZ video crew in 2017: "Hemlock."
CNN
Big Sean

In February 2017 rapper Big Sean rapped a verse about killing the President on his "I Decided" album. The lyrics are, “And I might just kill ISIS with the same icepick/That I murder Donald Trump in the same night with."
Getty Images
Pearl Jam

At a show in Montana in August 2018 that served as a fundraiser for Sen. Jon Tester, the Seattle-based rockers released a cartoon poster commemorating the show that featured a bald eagle picking at the rotting corpse of President Trump on the White House lawn.

Also Read: Trump’s Rotting Cartoon Corpse Appears in Pearl Jam Poster for Montana Concert (Photo)
Getty Images
Violent words and imagery crosses the aisle as well.

Also Read: 7 Stars Who Imagined Violence Against Barack Obama, Democrats (Photos)

1 of 17

Some celebrities have been more than outspoken in their criticism of the Republican president

Since the election, several celebrities have voiced their displeasure -- even anger -- with the Trump administration. Some have gone so far as to suggest violent measures. From Robert De Niro to Snoop Dogg, here are some left-leaning noteworthy people who have fanned themes of violence toward Trump and the GOP.

View In Gallery

15 Stars Who Imagined Violence Against Donald Trump, From Kathy Griffin to Pearl Jam (Photos)

7DAYFREETRIAL

7
DAY
FREE
TRIAL