As Late-Night Hosts Attack, Trump Wants 'Equal Time'

President complains about relentlessly negative coverage
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 7, 2017 8:37 AM CDT
Trump Wonders About 'Equal Time' to Rebut Kimmel, Others
President Trump speaks during a Hispanic Heritage Month event in the East Room of the White House Friday.   (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Trump took to Twitter Saturday to air a familiar complaint, with a twist. Trump says there's so much negative coverage of him on news and late-night talk shows that he wonders whether the networks should give him "equal time" to present his side of things. "More and more people are suggesting that Republicans (and me) should be given Equal Time on T.V. when you look at the one-sided coverage?" he wrote. Trump took particular aim at the likes of Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert. "Late Night host are dealing with the Democrats for their very 'unfunny' & repetitive material, always anti-Trump! Should we get Equal Time?" he wrote.

As Politico explains, Trump is apparently referring to the FCC's equal time rule that applies to broadcast TV and radio stations (but not cable) when it comes to candidates for public office. Given that Trump is a sitting president and not a candidate, it's unclear how the rule might be applied to him, the site adds. Also unclear is how it would apply to, say, a critical monologue from Kimmel or Colbert. Things weren't all negative, however. "Can't believe I finally got a good story in the @washingtonpost," wrote the president, apparently referring to this story about how Trump supporters were filling up GOP campaign coffers. (More President Trump stories.)

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