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MAGA Republicans are calling for equal airtime for Donald Trump following Kamala Harris’s surprise appearance on Saturday Night Live over the weekend, despite the former president already receiving equal coverage shortly after her segment.
Brandon Carr, a Trump appointee and Federal Communications Commissioner, raised concerns on Saturday regarding Harris’s unexpected cameo, which was announced just hours before the show aired.
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In a post on X, Carr claimed her appearance was a “clear and blatant effort to evade the FCC’s Equal Time rule.”
He stated, “The purpose of the rule is to avoid exactly this type of biased and partisan conduct—a licensed broadcaster using the public airwaves to exert its influence for one candidate on the eve of an election, unless the broadcaster offered Equal Time to other qualifying campaigns.”
When Trump hosted SNL in 2015, his appearance triggered the Equal Time rule, resulting in NBC providing his opponents with 12 minutes of free airtime on its affiliate stations.
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Following Harris’s appearance, Trump was offered the same opportunity, airing a brief 60-second message after a NASCAR race on Sunday, as reported by CNN.
But according to FCC filings, Harris received approximately 30 seconds of airtime “without charge,”
This response did not quell the outrage from MAGA supporters, who believe Trump deserves a spot on SNL.
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Florida Senator Marco Rubio criticized Harris’s appearance as part of a “full-scale assault” designed to “depress and suppress Republican votes,” claiming it violated the law.
Rubio stated, “I hope she laughed on Saturday Night Live in front of millions of people, because that’s probably worth two to three million votes right there.”
On Fox News’s Mornings with Maria, Carr suggested that the FCC might consider “license revocation” if Harris’s appearance is deemed “egregious,” reiterating that the Equal Time rule is meant to ensure fairness for all candidates.
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Elon Musk also amplified claims that Harris’s appearance was illegal (it was not) and alleged that SNL had interfered in the election by performing a skit to boost the name recognition of Virginia Senator Tim Kaine.
The implication was that Kaine’s race against Republican candidate Hung Cao was tightening, with one poll showing his lead shrinking from 9-14 points to just two.
