Democratic leaders demand 'equal airtime' in response to networks saying they will air Trump's primetime address

REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).

• House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer released a joint statement on Monday night asking to be "immediately be given equal airtime," after networks indicated they will air President Donald Trump's scheduled Tuesday night Oval Office address.
• "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," the statement reads.
• Trump announced via Twitter that he will address the nation on Tuesday at 9:00 p.m. ET, saying he will discuss "the Humanitarian and National Security crisis on our Southern Border [sic]."
• The Hill confirmed that "CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Fox Business and CNN" will all air Trump's address live, after some initial uncertainty - and lively debate on Twitter. INSIDER contacted CBS, NBC News, CNN, ABC and Fox News to see if they would air a Democratic response, and we will update as necessary.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer released a joint statement on Monday night asking to be "immediately be given equal airtime," after networks indicated they will air President Donald Trump's Tuesday prime-time address.

"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," the statement reads.

Trump announced via Twitter that he will address the nation on Tuesday at 9:00 p.m. ET, saying he will discuss "the Humanitarian and National Security crisis on our Southern Border [sic]."

The Hill confirmed that "CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Fox Business and CNN" will all air Trump's address live, after some initial uncertainty - and lively debate on Twitter. INSIDER contacted CBS, NBC News, CNN, ABC and Fox News to see if they would air a Democratic response, and we will update as necessary.

Trump is allegedly considering declaring a national emergency in order to fund border security. He will travel to the border on Thursday.

Read more: The government shutdown is in its 17th day and there's no end in sight. Here's how Trump and Congress got into this mess.

Trump's address will air on the 18th day of a partial government shutdown, which began over $5 billion in funding for the president's desired wall at the US-Mexico border. After initially signalling that he would sign a stopgap measure passed in the Senate to fund nine government agencies - that had not yet received appropriations - until February 8, Trump reneged on that decision.

Trump then said he would not sign any appropriation bill if it did not have funding for a wall. Starting at midnight on December 21, part of the government no longer had funding, which is impacting 800,000 federal workers - 420,000 of which are considered "essential" and must work without pay.

It also affects those who are not federal government employees - potentially disrupting the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (food stamps), causing issues with airport security, impacting the IRS, and other federal agencies.