President Donald Trump has angered Survivor fans after preempting the show's broadcast on Wednesday night with a nearly 20-minute primetime speech defending the US-Israeli bombing campaign on Iran. The interruption came midway through a special two-hour episode, airing from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. on the East Coast, with the speech starting around 9 p.m.
Trump, 79, sought to calm public nerves amid fallout from the joint military action, which has prompted Iranian retaliation against oil depots and refineries in neighbouring countries, as well as attempts to close the Strait of Hormuz. Since the campaign began, gas prices have reached a national average of $4 per gallon, according to AAA, and stock markets have been thrown into turmoil.
Viewers took to social media to vent their frustration. One fan joked, 'Honestly impeach Trump over messing with my survivor episode.' Another wrote, 'If this cuts into Survivor I am going to LOSE MY MIND.' A third posted a meme with an exercise instructor saying, 'Ban him,' and 'Get him out of here.'
Many fans were particularly irked because this is the second time Trump has interrupted Survivor with a primetime address. 'This is the second time Trump is interrupting an episode of Survivor. I'm so annoyed,' one viewer said. Another seethed, 'Trump interrupting ANOTHER episode of Survivor... ENOUGH.'
CBS confirmed that Survivor would resume immediately after the speech, allowing fans to watch the full episode. However, the interruption drew comparisons to December last year, when Trump preempted the season 49 finale, sparking even stronger backlash.
