In a move that certainly broke the law, “Saturday Night Live” aired a skit featuring Vice President Kamala Harris, without extending an invitation to former President Donald Trump. The skit, which aired Saturday evening, has prompted criticism from Federal Communications Commission Commissioner Brendan Carr, who accused NBC of violating the FCC’s Equal Time rule by showcasing a sitting vice president without offering equal airtime to her opponents.
“This is a clear and blatant effort to evade the FCC’s Equal Time rule,” Carr wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “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.”
The Equal Time rule, established to ensure fairness on public airwaves, mandates that broadcasters offer equal opportunities to all qualified political candidates competing for the same office, according to The Washington Examiner. The rule was amended in 1971, granting the FCC authority to revoke broadcasting licenses for repeated or intentional violations.
According to Trump campaign officials, SNL made no attempt to reach out for the former president’s participation. The skit, running just over two minutes, featured comedian Maya Rudolph, known for her portrayal of Harris, looking into a mirror and encountering the real-life Vice President Harris. The scene drew applause from the studio audience as Harris joked to Rudolph, “I’m just here to remind you, you got this, because you can do something your opponent can’t do — you can open doors.” The line appeared to reference a recent campaign moment where Trump climbed into a garbage truck, a lighthearted jab that added to the sketch’s humor.
SNL and NBC have admitted that they broke the law.
NBC has filed a notice with the FCC, disclosing that Kamala Harris appeared on SNL for under two minutes without charge.
Under federal law, if Donald Trump requests equal time, NBC would be required to provide it before the election. pic.twitter.com/aMvHJjpwC2
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) November 4, 2024
The media company also admitted that they violated the law regarding the Virginia Senate race.
In addition to illegally boosting @KamalaHarris, NBC’s Saturday Night Live last night did a skit *literally* aimed at boosting the name recognition of Sen @timkaine. Why? Perhaps because Kaine’s challenger @HungCao_VA just closed the gap & could win. It’s election interference. pic.twitter.com/dolUILMhMU
— Michael Shellenberger (@shellenberger) November 3, 2024
Cao recently received a positive poll showing him locked in a tight race against Senator Tim Kaine. Cao has now responded to the question about NBC’s shadiness, and his answer, writes Red State, was great.
“He said he probably wouldn’t pursue the question because he thought this helped make the case against Kaine. Cao said he was campaigning with the people of Virginia while Kaine was being a ‘human punch line’ in New York City with the elites.”
Statement from CAPT Hung Cao USN (Ret.) on @nbcsnl’s free airtime provided to Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/LI7gmbSg3p
— Hung Cao (@HungCao_VA) November 3, 2024
Any bets in bee cee will grudgingly offer DJT and Capt. Cao some ‘free’ air time for rebuttal on the 31st of November, and perhaps pay a buck two ninety eight fine? Any takers on a sure bet?
Sue SNL & NBC then