Trump to take over airwaves, and Democrats demand equal time

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is taking over the nation's airwaves Tuesday night to argue his case for a U.S.-Mexico border wall — and Democrats are not happy about it.

Representatives for ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox Broadcasting, Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, MSNBC and NBC confirmed plans to air Trump's address live at 9 p.m. Eastern.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer say Democrats should be given time to respond after Trump's address.

"Now that the television networks have decided to air the President's address, which if his past statements are any indication will be full of malice and misinformation, Democrats must immediately be given equal airtime," they wrote in a joint statement Monday night.

Trump's address will come in the third week of a partial government shutdown, the result of a stalemate with congressional Democrats over $5 billion the president wants for the U.S.-Mexico border wall. Democrats are refusing to pay for it, noting that he repeatedly promised that Mexico would foot the bill for it.

The speech is part of a public relations blitz by the president. Trump has scheduled a trip to the border Thursday to highlight his demands for a wall.