FCC commissioner calls Harris' SNL appearance a 'clear and blatant attempt' to evade the equal-time rule

The top Republican commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission called Vice President Kamala Harris' “Saturday Night Live” debut a “clear and obvious attempt” to circumvent the equal-time rule.

Brendan Carr emphasized that the FCC's “concurrent” requirements require opposing candidates to receive equal airtime, claiming that NBC “structured this appearance in a way that circumvents those requirements.”

“This is a clear and obvious attempt to circumvent the FCC’s equal time rule. “The purpose of the rule is to prevent exactly this kind of biased and partisan behavior – a licensed broadcaster using the public airwaves to exert influence on a candidate’s behalf on the eve of an election,” Carr wrote on X.

Harris, 60, made a surprise appearance on SNL, joining her impersonator Maya Rudolph in the show's cold open on November 5, where she urged voters to support her.