According to NBC News, the four big networks are trying to figure out if they want to air Trump’s Prime Time address to the nation tomorrow night.
If they do decide to air it, they reportedly want give Democrats a chance to respond:
President Donald Trump’s planned prime-time address on immigration Tuesday night has put the broadcast networks in a difficult — and familiar — position as they debate whether to carry the address live.
The White House has asked the broadcast networks to set aside at least eight minutes at 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday for an Oval Office address in which Trump may declare a state of national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border.
The four major networks — NBC, ABC, CBS and Fox — have not had a consistent policy when it comes to airing presidential addresses on immigration.
They aired President George W. Bush’s prime-time address on immigration in 2006, but did not air one by President Barack Obama in 2014.
The networks are currently debating whether to air the Trump address, and if they do, they would probably grant Democrats an opportunity to respond, according to two sources familiar with the ongoing deliberations who asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
This isn’t the State of the Union where Democrats get an automatic rebuttal of the president’s speech. Yeesh.
But regardless, I’d hope that they would air it. Especially during a government shutdown.
Trump needs to explain to the American people why this wall is so necessary and I’m glad he’s doing this. It’s an issue that should have been resolved decades ago and it’s about time someone makes a real issue out of this.