President Donald Trump will announce his nominee to fill a vacant justice seat on the US Supreme Court via Facebook Live tonight.
The president revealed his streaming plans on - where else - Twitter earlier on Tuesday. The broadcast takes place at 5pm PT/8pm ET/1am GMT on the White House Facebook page.
We asked Facebook for comment on Trump's stream, including how the social network views this as part of Live's role in the political process and whether it will offer any special support for the broadcast. A Facebook spokesperson got back to us with the following statement:
"We are available to provide advice and best practices to the White House, as we do for many elected officials. We are not providing any technical assistance or staff for tonight’s Facebook Live broadcast."
Trump's announcement is unusual for several reasons. For one, it takes place during primetime TV viewing hours, turning the monumental decision into something of a reality show.
Trump has kept his list of candidates a secret, though the two front-runners are considered to be Neil Gorsuch and Thomas Hardiman. The judges are in Washington D.C. in anticipation of the announcement, according to Variety. One will leave with the nomination, the other with nothing.
Though the event will also air on traditional TV networks, with Facebook Live, Trump can still circumvent the media, delivering his message straight to viewers. The Trump administration's relationship with the media has only gotten more contentious during his first week-plus in office, so it's not surprising for him to use another platform to communicate the decision.
Facebook has made a greater push into video in recent years, particularly when it comes to Live (you may have seen the commercials).
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