‘Jeopardy!’ Fans React to Trump Verdict Preemption

When it comes to Jeopardy!, the game must always go on, even if it doesn’t air on TV. Such was the case during the May 30 broadcast following the verdict announcement that former president Donald Trump had been found guilty of all 34 felony counts against him.

The big news break impacted some affiliate broadcasts, preempting the fan-favorite game show in different regions of the country based on local news broadcasting. On Reddit, some fans let their feelings be known, with one commenting, “Yet again Jeopardy! has been preempted by breaking news on the Austin, TX affiliate. Apparently, there’s a court verdict involving a former reality TV star that’s about to be announced.”

“Same with Chicago,” another viewer commented in response, noting that the broadcast was also interrupted in the Midwest.

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Another fan pointed out the downside of such a preemption, particularly if you were one of the evening’s competitors. “I feel for the contestants on tonight. What if you were having a watch party and they don’t air it! Brutal,” they wrote.

Additionally, another fan expressed interest in trying to catch a broadcast in a different region than their own, as they acknowledged their own preemption. “Damn, this is the second time Trump stuff has preempted it for me. Guess I’m gonna try watching on San Francisco time,” they lamented.

[Beware of game spoilers, below.]

For those who wished to tune in, but were unable to, returning one-day champion Adriana Harmeyer, an archivist from Indiana, faced off with real estate broker Sandee Baker from Washington and IT director Brad Miller from Missouri. It was an impressive match for Adriana who entered Final Jeopardy! with a strong enough lead that despite not finding the correct response, still managed to crush her competition.

In the final round, Adriana faced Brad’s $3,700 and Sandee’s $3,000 with a whopping $22,200. While she lost $2,200 with her wager, Adriana still managed to pull a commanding lead, finishing the round with $20,000, making her two-day total $46,200.

Did you manage to catch the Jeopardy! match or were you among the preempted broadcasts? Let us know in the comments section, below, and catch more Jeopardy! when it airs on Friday, May 31.

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