Nearly 100 Hollywood figures say their petition against NBC airing President Trump's town hall 'is not a partisan issue'

Tonight would have been the second presidential debate, moderated by Steve Scully — who has now been suspended from C-SPAN for lying about being hacked when it turned out he’d been messaging back and forth with Anthony Scaramucci. So we can’t say we’re too disappointed that fell through, and we certainly weren’t in the mood for a “virtual” debate. Instead, we’re getting a town hall with the president on NBC at the same time ABC airs its town hall with Joe Biden.

As Twitchy reported, former NBC “Seinfeld” star Julia Louis-Dreyfus was among those calling for people to boycott her former network with the #NBCBlackout hashtag. She’s, of course, not the only one in the industry calling for a boycott of NBC. The Hollywood Reporter reports that more than 100 showrunners, producers, and stars have signed a petition against NBC airing Trump’s town hall. Among those who signed are producer and director J.J. Abrams and “Law & Order: SVU” star Mariska Hargitay.

JJ Abrams, Ava DuVernay and Mariska Hargitay are among the nearly 100 Hollywood figures who have sent a petition to Comcast and NBCUniversal executives protesting the timing of tonight's Trump town hall, which is set to air opposite ABC's Biden town hall. https://t.co/zdilNVMOGv pic.twitter.com/lfruqlaHsG

— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) October 15, 2020

The Washington Examiner’s Byron York notes that the petition claims that the call to cancel the town hall “is not a partisan issue.”

NBC actors, producers protest network's decision to air Trump town hall tonight at same time as Biden's on ABC. They want you to know that, 'This is not a partisan issue. This is about the political health of our democracy.' OK.https://t.co/Y4P6bPT6qc pic.twitter.com/vzStFjf6QI

— Byron York (@ByronYork) October 15, 2020

If it’s not a partisan issue that has them “devastated,” what is it? Well, it’s about “the political health of our democracy” and the “undercutting of the Presidential Debate Commission” by Trump, who refused to do a virtual debate. “By agreeing to air his town hall … you are enabling the President’s bad behavior.”

Here's how NBC can respond:

"Dear current and former employees. We hear you! So we will cancel the program. Sadly, the millions in lost revenue means that some of you will be receiving a termination letter tomorrow.

Thanks for the input. Here's to a healthy democracy!"

— Patrick Albanese (@patrickalbanese) October 15, 2020

I think they are in for disappointment when they realize what little influence they really have.

— Patti Anne (@idahowdy) October 15, 2020

Kind of like how all their threats to move overseas just don’t produce the results they want.

I read the list, 2 or 3 of them that I have enjoyed some of their work in the past; but I could really care less what they think. The country is more important, and I will try to make sure they never get another dime off of me.

— Steve ?? (@Chasenbryce) October 15, 2020