Networks plan to carry Dem response to Trump prime-time address

Most major broadcast networks indicated Tuesday they plan to carry the Democratic response to President Trump’s prime-time address from the Oval Office on the partial government shutdown and the southern border.

Fox News, Fox Business, NBC, CBS, ABC and CNN each said it would air both Trump’s speech and Democrats’ response live on Tuesday night after Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) requested equal air time following the president’s address.

Spanish-language Telemundo will also be airing both Trump’s speech and the Democrats’ response.

{mosads}Trump announced in a tweet Monday that he planned to address the nation on “the Humanitarian and National Security crisis on our Southern Border.”

Networks did not immediately indicate that they would air the president’s remarks live amid concerns from critics over the merits of airing a political message and whether he would use the time to spread inaccurate claims.

And here we are. Can the networks responsibly broadcast Trump’s remarks live to millions?

With any other POTUS, sole Q is newsworthiness. With Trump, hard to disentangle idea of presidential address from his frequently deceitful and untruthful claims.https://t.co/waMzoGd7n5

— David Folkenflik (@davidfolkenflik) January 7, 2019

Any network that gives President Trump time for his “national address” tomorrow evening on #TheWall is morally obligated to offer equal time to the opposition. Who should respond? I propose President Obama. It’s that important.

— Larry Sabato (@LarrySabato) January 7, 2019

Each of the major broadcast networks ultimately said the president’s speech would be broadcast live. CBS said his address will last no more than eight minutes, according to the White House.

Democrats then asked for equal air time to respond, though it was not initially clear who would deliver the Democratic rebuttal. It was later announced that Pelosi and Schumer would deliver the response.

Networks in 2011 gave Republicans air time to respond to President Obama’s speech about the debt ceiling.

Trump is expected to use the speech to plead his case for funding his desired wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. He has demanded more than $5 billion in funding for the structure, which triggered a partial government shutdown that has lasted 18 days and counting.

The president is set to travel to the southern border on Thursday.

With Tuesday’s remarks, Trump will address the nation twice in the span of two weeks after he said he would deliver the 2019 State of the Union on Jan. 29.

–This report was updated at 11:46 a.m.