Trump Asks if He Should Get Equal Time for Late-Night’s ‘Anti-Trump’ Humor

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said late-night hosts are so “anti-Trump” that perhaps he should get equal time, which requires broadcasters to give political candidates the same amount of screen time for those who request it.

“Late Night host are dealing with the Democrats for their very ‘unfunny’ & repetitive material, always anti-Trump! Should we get Equal Time?” Trump asked.

He later tweeted, “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?”

Trump’s tweets may be another turn at hyperbole, but in any case, he appears to be equating the FCC’s equal-time rule with the Fairness Doctrine.

The Fairness Doctrine, generally speaking, required broadcasters to present contrasting points of view, particularly on controversial issues. But that was eliminated by the FCC in 1987, during Ronald Reagan’s administration. It may have helped give rise to conservative talk radio, as stations were no longer obligated to cover all sides of a controversial topic. While some groups on the left have called for it to be reinstated over the years, many Republicans have actually warned against any efforts to do so.

The equal-time rule is still in place, but it applies to appearances of political candidates on broadcast outlets, not whether a comedy skit or monologue targets a president or Congress. Moreover, news coverage and interviews are exempt, and over the years, when the issue has come up, that has been ruled to include late-night talk programs.

What was not exempt was when Trump hosted “Saturday Night Live” as he was running for president in 2015, and some of his rivals for the Republican nomination requested equal time. According to election law experts, it’s likely that “SNL” would not have the same equal-time exemption as a late-night talk show and, in the end, NBC stations in certain markets gave time to Trump’s rivals.

But that is a far different situation than being the source of humor, which Trump was throughout the election and still is. He may be referring in his latest tweet to Jimmy Kimmel’s monologues against GOP attempts to repeal and replace Obamacare, or the way that Kimmel, Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers, and others have responded to the mass shootings in Las Vegas. Or how they have made Trump a butt of their jokes from the start of his presidency.

In any case, it’s clear that the equal-time rule would not apply, as this is not about Trump’s potential 2020 Democratic rivals appearing in late-night. Save for John Delaney, a congressman from Maryland, there are none.

Rather, this is another Trump swipe at the media, whether it be news, talk, or comedy, and this time citing the power of the FCC.

Finally, Trump’s reference to the “host” that’s “dealing with the Democrats” probably refers to reports that when the Republicans were trying to pass a repeal and replace Obamacare bill, Kimmel was in contact with the office of Chuck Schumer, along with other groups.

That was picked up by “Fox & Friends,” a Trump favorite.

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