NYT columnist: Pressure mounting on NBC to make town hall a ‘nightmare for Trump’

New York Times media columnist Ben Smith said Thursday that there’s pressure mounting on NBC News to make its town hall with President Trump a “nightmare.” 

“Enormous pressure on NBC now to make this a nightmare for Trump,” Smith said. 

Enormous pressure on NBC now to make this thing a nightmare for Trump.

— Ben Smith (@benyt) October 15, 2020

The comment from Smith comes after the news network received backlash on social media and elsewhere for scheduling the event at the same time as Democratic nominee Joe Biden’s town hall on ABC. 

Trump’s town hall, scheduled for Thursday night, will be moderated by “Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie from Miami. Both Biden’s and Trump’s town halls were scheduled after the second presidential debate scheduled for the evening was canceled by the Commission on Presidential Debates. 

On Wednesday, when NBC announced it would host a town hall for Trump, the news prompted outrage from some of the network’s biggest names, including MSNBC host Rachel Maddow and several cast members of NBC’s popular drama “This Is Us.”

While interviewing vice presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Maddow asked, “Are you as mad as everybody else that NBC is doing a town hall with President Trump tomorrow instead of the debate, at the same time that Vice President Biden’s going to be on ABC?” 

“I’m not touching that,” the California senator replied, later adding, “I know who I’ll be watching.”

In addition, more than 100 Hollywood stars and directors signed a letter demanding NBC withdraw from the telecast.

“We have always thought of NBCUniversal as both a terrific creative home and a brand that stands for the best in entertainment and broadcast journalism,” the letter reads. “This is why we have been devastated to learn that you have chosen to air President Trump’s town hall this Thursday night at 8 p.m., directly opposite Vice President Biden’s town hall.”

Trump sarcastically told Fox Business host Stuart Varney that he expects the event to be fair.

“You’ve got a town hall tonight with NBC,” Varney said.

“Yes. I’m sure that’ll be fair,” Trump said.

The next presidential debate is scheduled for Oct. 22.