President Trump will participate in an NBC News town hall held outdoors in Miami on Thursday, the network announced, setting up an evening of competing events featuring the Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
Biden previously announced that he would take part in an ABC News town hall the same evening in Philadelphia, which will air at the same time as Trump’s town hall and will run for 90 minutes.
Members of the media and activist community have taken to social media to voice their dismay at NBC News hosting a town hall for President Donald Trump during the same time slot as Democratic Presidential Candidate Joe Biden, with some calling for a boycott.
The decision by NBC News to run a Trump town hall directly opposite ABC’s Biden town hall is indefensible.
— Jeff Greenfield (@greenfield64) October 14, 2020
ABC + Biden should move his event to 9PM TONIGHT. #BoycottNBC https://t.co/4LrOZegwhM
— Morgan J. Freeman (@mjfree) October 14, 2020
I’ve heard from over a dozen NBC, MSNBC, and CNBC sources (talent and staff) and the frustration with and anger toward their employer for scheduling a town hall against Biden is palpable.
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) October 14, 2020
This is exactly how Trump won the election, media outlets hungry for audience happily giving a white supremacist a platform despite the impact on society. #BoycottNBC https://t.co/QGZQ5uL9hO
— Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) October 14, 2020
The president is holding rallies daily this week, including an event in Iowa on Wednesday evening. He will also be in North Carolina for a campaign event in the afternoon on Thursday prior to the town hall.
Biden recently traveled to Pennsylvania over the weekend and made stops in Ohio and Florida at the beginning of this week.