NEW YORK, N.Y. — NBC has provided former President Donald Trump’s campaign with free airtime in response to Vice President Kamala Harris’ recent appearance on Saturday Night Live, according to a source familiar with the decision.
Harris’s cameo on SNL, which lasted approximately 90 seconds, triggered an equal-time rule, a provision that requires networks to offer equivalent airtime to other candidates upon request. This means that if another presidential campaign, such as Trump’s, requests the same amount of time, the network is obligated to provide it.
On Sunday, NBC aired a NASCAR playoff race, and viewers noticed that Trump appeared in a brief ad toward the end of the broadcast. Although the ad technically ran just after the race concluded, coverage was still ongoing. In the ad, Trump addressed the camera directly, wearing his signature red “Make America Great Again” cap, warning that a Harris presidency would lead to a “depression” and urging viewers to “go and vote.”
The Trump campaign was also reportedly granted a similar spot during NBC’s Sunday Night Football broadcast, allowing the former president to reach a large audience over the weekend. The decision highlights the balancing act networks must perform under equal-time rules, especially in a high-stakes election season.
NBC has not commented on whether additional airtime will be offered to other candidates, but sources suggest the network acted to fulfill its legal obligation following Harris’s SNL appearance.
