Trump Just Crossed a Dangerous Line [View all]

President Trump was given rare prime time television not for a national emergency or major policy announcement, but for what amounted to a campaign style speech that interrupted the season finale of Survivor with millions watching. Prime time White House addresses are not automatic and are typically reserved for urgent national moments, yet viewers instead saw political messaging filled with false claims and delivered in a confrontational tone. That decision raised serious questions because networks have previously denied similar requests from other presidents, even for substantive policy speeches. The situation is further complicated by CBS’s corporate ownership and its need for federal regulatory approval, creating troubling optics even without evidence of coordination. This is not about free speech or party politics, but about standards. Those standards were once high, and last night they were lowered in a way that may be difficult to reverse.