Trump given 'equal time' by NBC at Nascar rally after Harris' SNL appearance

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NBC gave Donald Trump's campaign two free commercials on Sunday after criticism that the network may have violated the Federal Communications Commission's “concurrent” rules with those of Kamala Harris Saturday Night Live Look.

The former president took to the airwaves and delivered a wrenching, 60-second recorded message that was shown near the end of Sunday night's Nascar playoff race and the NFL Football on Sunday evenings Game.

Wearing a red MAGA hat, Trump urged viewers to get out and vote just two days before Election Day and warned that Harris would cause a “depression” across the U.S., according to the clip he saw Hollywood Reporter.

A source told the network that Trump's unexpected appearance represented an attempt by the network to comply with the FCC's Equal Time Fairness rules – which require broadcasters to provide equal access to competing political candidates during an election cycle.

It's not clear whether the Trump campaign requested the time slot or whether it was offered by NBC.

Trump's message came a day after Harris mocked Trump during a surprise appearance SNL this weekend in a 90-second sketch.

The vice president detoured from her campaign stop in Michigan and flew to New York City to appear in the show's cold opening with Maya Rudolph – who has played the Democratic candidate this season.

The pair took a swipe at Trump, who donned a fluorescent orange high-visibility vest and struggled to get into a garbage truck during a campaign stunt in Wisconsin last week.

Her appearance came after series creator Lorne Michaels told the Hollywood Reporter last month that SNL has not approached any candidate “due to electoral laws and equality regulations” and does not intend to do so.

On Saturday, senior adviser Jason Miller told the Associated Press that he didn't know if the former president had been invited to the show, before adding: “Probably not.”

NBC then filed a statement saying Harris appeared Sunday “without charges.”

But FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr maintained

“The purpose of the rule is to prevent exactly this type 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 said Saturday evening.

“Unless the broadcaster offers equal time for other qualifying campaigns.”

Late Sunday, Carr pointed to the FCC rule that says a broadcaster should give a candidate a week to request the same time — despite the SNL Clip airing three days after Election Day.

He added: “NBC structured an SNL contestant's appearance (just hours before an election) in a way that would deny all other contestants their week-long due process.”

The Trump campaign also took a swipe at Harris SNL Performance on Saturday.

“Kamala Harris has nothing of substance to offer the American people, so she is living out her distorted fantasy and playing with her elite friends on Saturday Night Leftists while her campaign fades into obscurity,” campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement to Fox News.

The Independent has reached out to NBC and the Trump campaign for further comment.