CBS Interrupts President Trump’s National Emergency Speech For ‘The Price Is Right’

By Bruce Haring, Deadline
Published Feb. 16, 2019, 10:06 a.m. ET

National emergency on the border?  In one network’s news judgment, it was more important to say, “Come on, down!”

CBS coverage of President Donald Trump’s televised address on his national emergency declaration ended 21 minutes before its conclusion, as the eye network opted to return viewers to game show The Price Is Right. All of the other broadcast and cable news networks carried the declaration and press conference on Friday afternoon to its conclusion.

The Trump announcement from the Rose Garden of the White House was delayed from its original 10:30 AM eastern time start. Trump said he was declaring the emergency “because we have an invasion of drugs, invasion of gangs, invasion of people.”

CBS News reported that the White House assured the network Trump’s speech would be no longer than eight minutes. But Trump started at 1:10 PM and finished at 2 PM.

STREAM THE PRICE IS RIGHT ON CBS ALL ACCESS