Tom Steyer Launches 'Talk to Trump' Ad Campaign

Presidential candidate Tom Steyer said he has bought ad time on Fox & Friends, arguably President Donald Trump's favorite TV show, to allow some of the President's critics to "Talk to Trump."

Steyer is soliciting 25-second videos from people he expects to tell the President "how much he has failed them as president."

Steyer's campaign said some of the videos will air "in the coming weeks on Fox & Friends," which it calls a place the President is likely to see it. Trump has frequently tweeted about the show and its coverage of him, which he appears to like.

Steyer has been calling for Trump's impeachment--he founded Need to Impeach--for two years. The video campaign was prompted by the announcement by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that a formal impeachment inquiry was being launched, essentially an umbrella brand for the investigations already in progress.

"Trump should know how he’s failed you as president — whether that’s on health care, a living wage, gun violence, climate change, or something else entirely,” wrote Steyer’s campaign Sept. 28). “It’s time Trump heard directly from the many, many people around the country who are hurting and frustrated because of his corrupt and cruel administration.”

Videos can be submitted at talktotrump@tomsteyer.com or directly to the web site.

A Fox spokesperson said the Fox & Friends ads must be local spot buys because they have not sold Steyer's campaign any national spots.

The spokesperson pointed out Steyer has bought a "bunch" of such spot ads. 

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.