Jimmy Kimmel slams NBC for scheduling Trump townhall: ‘Why not a new Bill Cosby special?'
Event is happening on what was supposed to be night of second presidential debate
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Your support makes all the difference.Jimmy Kimmel is taking NBC to task for scheduling a Trump townhall on what should have been the night of the second presidential debate.
The late-night host criticised the network on Wednesday’s episode of his show Jimmy Kimmel Live, questioning the network’s decision to air a programme around Donald Trump at the same time as Joe Biden’s previously scheduled townhall on ABC.
Kimmel began by summarising the situation, explaining that a virtual debate was supposed to be held on Thursday night after Trump contracted coronavirus.
Trump refused to participate in a virtual event and the debate was cancelled altogether. ABC announced a week ago that in light of the cancellation, it would air an event in which Biden would answer questions from voters in Philadelphia.
NBC revealed on Wednesday that it would air a townhall with Trump on the same day and at the same time, meaning that the two presidential candidates, instead of debating each other, will now appear in simultaneous rival events. The move has been met with a backlash, with the hashtag #boycottNBC trending on Twitter.
Kimmel joined the criticism, quipping: “Thanks, NBC. First The Apprentice, now this. Why not a new Bill Cosby special while we’re at it?
“There is no good reason to hold these events simultaneously.”
He suggested that Trump decided to have his event at the same time as Biden’s because “he knows he’ll get better ratings than Joe Biden”, adding: “Of course more people will watch Trump. That doesn’t mean – if my choices are watching a documentary about the Bill of Rights or a guy getting hit in the nuts with a shovel, I’m going shovel every single time.”
Both NBC and ABC’s event air tonight at 8pm ET.
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