A Federal Communications Commission commissioner claimed on Saturday that Kamala Harris‘ appearance on Saturday Night Live violated the “equal time” rule.
“This is a clear and blatant effort to evade the FCC’s Equal Time rule,” commissioner Brendan Carr wrote on X, formerly Twitterin response to news of her planned appearance.
The FCC’s equal time rule requires American radio and television stations to offer equal time to rival political candidates.
“The purpose of the rule is to avoid exactly this type of biased and partisan conduct – a licensed broadcaster using the public airwaves to exert its influence for one candidate on the eve of an election,” Carr wrote, adding: “Unless the broadcaster offered Equal Time to other qualifying campaigns.”
Carr was appointed to the FCC by Donald Trump in 2017. Per Forbeshe is also credited as the author of a section in Project 2025, the unofficial policy plan of the Republican party. In his post Saturday, he went on the point out that SNL executive producer Lorne Michaels previously told The Hollywood Reporter the show would not reach out to either Harris or Trump, citing the equal time rule.
“You can’t bring the actual people who are running on because of election laws and the equal time provisions,” Michaels told THRand then clarified: “You can’t have the main candidates without having all the candidates, and there are lots of minor candidates that are only on the ballot in, like, three states and that becomes really complicated.”
It’s not clear whether NBC reached out to Trump when planning Saturday’s episode, but the show has a long history of welcoming political candidates during their campaign (including Trump in 2015).
Harris’ cameo on Saturday night featured a the Democratic nominee in conversation with herself (or, with Maya Rudolph‘s impression of her, that is) similar in structure to Trump’s appearance alongside Jimmy Fallon’s impression of him in that 2015 sketch.
“Now Kamala, take my palm-ala,” Rudolph told the veep. Then they began to finish each other’s sentences. “The American people want to stop the chaos and end the drama-ala with a cool new step-momala. Look, get back in our pajamas and watch a rom-Kamala, like Legally Blonde-ala. And start decorating for Christmas, Fa-la-la-la-la. Because what do we always say? Keep Kamala and carry on-ala.”
John Mulaney hosted the episode, with musical guest Chappell Roan.
