President Donald Trump will announce his nominee for the Supreme Court tonight on Facebook Live at 8PM ET. The White House announced the stream today on Twitter.
CNN reported earlier today that Trump’s top two picks for the position, Neil Gorsuch and Thomas Hardiman, have both been brought to Washington. An unnamed source told the publication that the White House is attempting to keep the nomination a secret and build suspense until the official announcement; another anonymous source said that Trump could still change his mind.
President Trump may be a well-established lover of Twitter, but he’s used Facebook Live to stream announcements, press conferences, and more several times since his inauguration. By promoting his announcement on Facebook Live, Trump is able to deliver his message without commentary from major news networks.
The primetime slot also speaks to Trump’s fascination with television and ratings.
Wow, the ratings are in and Arnold Schwarzenegger got "swamped" (or destroyed) by comparison to the ratings machine, DJT. So much for....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2017