[SoothingDave]

Donald Trump turned a GOP Presidential debate into the number one reality show in America. What’s wrong with that?

The question contains its own answer.

[research99]

The Presidential Debates of 1960 (60 million viewers), 1976, 1980 (80 million viewers), and others, received higher numbers than the primary debate of 2015.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election_debates