Major television networks are set to clear schedules for a live presidential address, pre-empting popular programs to let President Donald Trump talk himself up amid sinking approval numbers.
The White House confirmed the address will air live at 9 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday, with FOX, NBC, CBS, and ABC carrying it, along with Fox News and CNN, according to Politico’s Playbook. The move interrupts regularly scheduled shows, including some highly anticipated season finales.
CBS outlined its plans in a statement announcing a Special Report for Trump’s live address from the White House. It added that Norah O’Donnell would anchor alongside chief White House correspondent Nancy Cordes.
The network said the three-hour finale of Survivor, which begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time, would pause for the address and then resume afterwards for Eastern and Central time zone viewers. The network noted that the finale would air in its entirety, with additional viewing options available across CBS platforms and streaming services.
Fox’s season finale of The Floor, scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. Eastern time, is also among the programs affected by the interruption.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president plans to use the address to highlight his administration’s record and outline priorities ahead. “It’s going to be a really good speech,” Leavitt said, describing discussions in the Oval Office about the remarks. She said Trump would focus on “the accomplishments over the past 11 months” and plans for “the next three years.”
In a separate interview with Fox News, Leavitt said the president is likely to address topics including border security and the economy.
The broadcast comes amid a complicated relationship between the president and CBS. Trump sued the network in October 2024 over a 60 Minutes interview with his political opponent, former Vice President Kamala Harris, alleging deceptive editing. Parent company Paramount later settled the lawsuit for $16 million in July.
Paramount, which merged earlier this year with David Ellison’s Skydance Media, has also undergone recent changes at CBS News, including layoffs and a shift in leadership. The network recently named Bari Weiss as editor in chief, and she has championed a more Trump-friendly bent.
Trump’s relationship with the network was muddied further on Tuesday, however, when the president posted a screed on Truth Social, aimed squarely at CBS.
“For those people that think I am close with the new owners of CBS, please understand that 60 Minutes has treated me far worse since the so-called ‘takeover,’ than they have ever treated me before. If they are friends, I’d hate to see my enemies!” Trump wrote.
That came after his son-in-law Jared Kushner’s private equity firm, Affinity Partners, said it would no longer be supporting Paramount Skydance’s hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros. Discovery. CBS is a part of the Skydance fold.
It also comes after Trump gave 60 Minutes an interview at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, in November.
The post Suck-Up TV Bosses Give Trump Free Rein to Rant in Primetime appeared first on The Daily Beast.
