The legal representatives of former President Donald Trump have issued a stern demand to major news networks, including ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, and Fox, insisting on equal airtime for the Republican candidate.
This follows the networks' decision to broadcast a prime-time speech by Democratic President Joe Biden, during which he announced his decision to step down and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris in a bid to consolidate the Democratic Party.
As reported by The Post Millennial, the move by Trump's legal team was triggered by Biden's address, which was perceived as a campaign speech rather than a bona fide news event. GOP Political Strategist Chris LaCivita made this clear in a post on social media platform X, stating, Every single network that televised this campaign speech will be getting follow-up letters from our attorneys regarding equal time, and tagged the networks.
David Warrington, legal counsel for Trumps 2024 presidential campaign, had already sent letters to the heads of ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX prior to Biden's speech. He demanded that if they chose to air Bidens address, Trump should be given an equivalent opportunity to present his case to the American public.
The letters, which were obtained by Breitbart News, underscored that Bidens speech did not qualify as a bona fide news event. Instead, Warrington argued, it was a primetime campaign commercial to boost Vice President Harris anemic poll numbers.
Warrington's letters detailed his concerns, stating, On July 23, 2024, President Biden announced that he would be giving a primetime speech on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. This speech is expected to address President Bidens decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race in the wake of his widely panned debate performance and freefalling poll numbers. It is also expected to address President Bidens endorsement of Vice President (and border czar) Kamala Harris for the Democratic nomination for president. As such, it appears that President Bidens speech will not be a bona fide news event, but rather, a primetime campaign commercial to boost Vice President Harris anemic poll numbers.
He further emphasized the networks' legal obligations, stating, As you are aware, under federal law, if you permit the use of your facilities by a candidate for public office, you are required to afford equal opportunities to all other candidates for that office to use such facilities. By broadcasting President Bidens campaign speech, you have permitted the use of your facilities by a candidate for public office. Thus, you are obligated to provide an equal opportunity for President Trump.
Warrington's letters also served as a formal request for equal access, warning that failure to comply could result in severe consequences, including the potential revocation of the networks' station licenses. He also suggested that the networks' decision to grant free airtime to Biden could be considered an excessive corporate in-kind contribution to the Biden (now Harris) for President Committee.
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