(NBC News) – Several major networks announced on Tuesday morning that they will air the Democratic response to President Donald Trump’s prime-time Oval Office address on immigration.
So far, CBS, NBC, and CNN have said they will carry the response. On Monday, all of of the major networks said they would air the president’s speech, prompting Democratic leaders to call for space to rebut him.
“Now that the television networks have decided to air the President’s address, which if his past statements are any indication will be full of malice and misinformation, Democrats must immediately be given equal airtime,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a joint statement on Monday.
Democrats have yet to say who will deliver the rebuttal.
The president’s address and Democratic response comes as a partial government shutdown stretches into its third week. Trump has demanded more than $5 billion to build a wall along the U.S. southern border while Democrats have insisted they will not provide Trump with any additional wall funding. Little progress has been made toward reaching an agreement.
In an interview with NBC News on Tuesday, Vice President Mike Pence said the president will use his speech to “explain to the American people that we have a humanitarian and security crisis at our southern border.”
