Presidential speeches are important events for TV networks. And with the State of Union address scheduled on Feb. 5, you might be wondering if a network is required to air President Donald Trump’s upcoming address or if it has any say in the matter.…
Presidential speeches are important events for TV networks. And with the State of Union address scheduled on Feb. 5, you might be wondering if a network is required to air President Donald Trump’s upcoming address or if it has any say in the matter.
It turns out that the answer to the question is actually a lot more complicated than a simple «yes» or «no.» On Monday, the White House confirmed that it had accepted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s invitation to carry the SOTU address on Feb. 5, after weeks of uncertainty about the speech on account of the government shutdown.
Trump wrote to Pelosi, «It is my great honor to accept. We have a great story to tell and yet, great goals to achieve!»
For context, this particular SOTU address is taking place following a government shutdown — the country’s longest one yet — over Trump’s demand for $5.7 billion in a spending bill for the U. S.-Mexico border wall.
