The network was criticized for accommodating Trump after he rejected a debate. But then the ‘Today’ host started asking him questions.
NBC faced sharp criticism this week for scheduling a Thursday night town hall with President Trump, with even network employees chiding their employer for giving him an hour of airtime — “a free hour of television,” he said, sounding pleased, at a rally earlier that day. Even worse, critics said, it was matched up against ABC’s town hall with Democratic candidate Joe Biden, making voters choose.
But despite fears that the event would amount to a free promotion for Trump’s campaign, it ended up being one of the toughest grillings he has faced as president, with questions about white supremacy, covid-19 deaths and his taxes.
While the event was nominally a town hall, featuring questions from Florida voters, it included a lot of direct pressing by the moderator, “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie, who repeatedly challenged the president’s evasions. Continue reading.