Staffers at NBC, CNBC and MSNBC were said to be angry this week after learning that President Donald Trump was offered the opportunity to hold a solo town hall event.
NBC announced on Wednesday that the network will host a 90-minute town hall event for Trump opposite a similar event for Democratic candidate Joe Biden, which will air on ABC.
The event was only scheduled after a debate with Biden was cancelled because the president, who tested positive for COVID-19, refused to participate virtually.
Others on Twitter also lashed out at NBC for “rewarding” Trump with a 90-minute event.
Read some of the responses below.
Same network that ran The Apprentice and won’t release the tapes of Trump being disgusting. NBC out here treating this election like it’s February sweeps week.
— Kathleen Smith (@KikkiPlanet) October 14, 2020
Still no rationale offered by the White House why they’d be willing to share so much information w/NBC about the president’s health so as to make this Thursday town hall happen, but releasing when the last time pre-diagnosis that he had tested negative would violate his privacy
— Edward-Isaac Dovere (@IsaacDovere) October 14, 2020
I managed to foster a small glimmer of hope over the past two weeks. Today I wake up to NBC giving Trump free airtime after he pulled out of the debate, and @nytimes amplifying a “but his emails” hit piece cooked up by Giuliani and the NYPost.
Sad doesn’t begin to describe it.— James 「Vote Early」Sanders (@jas_np) October 14, 2020
NBC’s decision to continue boosting Trump–regardless of the norms they trample in order to do so–is the strongest case yet that for-profit corporations can’t be trusted to put a healthy democracy ahead of shareholder profit.
— Max Burns (@themaxburns) October 14, 2020
That time Trump backed out of debating Biden so NBC gave him a full 90 minutes to himself as a reward. https://t.co/KppS7wox5d
— Kathleen Smith (@KikkiPlanet) October 14, 2020
This is a very stupid decision by NBC. Trump acted irresponsibly, threw a superspreader party at the White House, got sick with Covid, refused to do a virtual debate, and NBC is *rewarding* him by giving him a town hall opposite Biden’s previously scheduled town hall? Why? https://t.co/LYUr2qLZIU
— Alp Ozcelik (@alplicable) October 14, 2020
NBC is gonna put the orange idiot on their network opposite Biden’s town hall on ABC…why are they doing this after that awful orange douche backed out of the debate???? – c’mon @NBCNews ….what the hell…?#disappointed
— Dana Ashbrook (@DanaAshbrook) October 14, 2020
Trump once again correctly wagered that even if he refuses to do another presidential debate, outlets like NBC would jump at the chance to offer Trump a huge block of unchallenged TV time.
— Max Burns (@themaxburns) October 14, 2020
That @NBCNews elected to attack on our democracy for ratings – AGAIN – by putting a Trump town hall directly against a Biden town hall, has 2 meanings: I’m done watching @NBC. And @SavannahGuthrie is despicable. She deserves a lifetime of condemnation. Let this haunt her career.
— Kurt “Mask Up, Vote Early” Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) October 14, 2020
“Dr. Lane concluded “with a high degree of confidence” that the president is “not shedding infectious virus,” NBC said.
“The network did not explicitly say that Mr. Trump had received a negative result from the P.C.R. test.” 🤔
— Lisa Tozzi (@lisatozzi) October 14, 2020
NBC and Trump have always been in a toxic relationship, it seems. Read this story for the toddler behavior he exhibited even back then — as well as his desire to include the family in his grift — and then pass it along … https://t.co/M2BQ1v3RwK
— Laurie Brookins (@StyleWriterNYC) October 14, 2020
If you think NBC is trash for how it helped power Trump to the presidency, be sure to read ‘Catch and Kill’ for how they systematically protected sexual predators in their employ. It’s an awful company.
— Matt Ghoulberg (@MattGoldberg) October 14, 2020
Why would @NBC allow themselves to be a vehicle for Trump’s bad behavior? You’re rewarding him for skipping a debate where his lies & racism can be checked.
— Joe Mirabella 🏳️🌈 (@joemirabella) October 14, 2020
If NBC wanted to give Trump a platform after he backed out of the debate, why on earth would they schedule the town hall to overlap with Biden’s tomorrow night? How does that serve anyone’s interests? They should delay the Trump town hall until after Biden’s is done.
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) October 14, 2020
