Two major U.S. broadcast networks and CNN declined to air President Donald Trump’s prime-time address on their main channels Thursday, prompting Trump to accuse them of a “plot” and call for the revocation of their broadcast licenses.
The speech, centered on election security four months ahead of the midterm elections, was not carried live by NBC or ABC on their primary broadcast platforms, nor by CNN on its main cable channel.
During the address, Trump directly attacked the networks that skipped it. “In a rare move NBC and ABC fake news have both said they would not cover this speech,” he said, adding that such actions amounted to “fraud” warranting license revocation.
Networks enjoy broad First Amendment protections to choose what they broadcast, though they have historically aired presidential addresses deemed of public importance.
NBC carried it on its free streaming service NBC News NOW, but not its primary broadcast channel.
CNN monitored the speech for news value and provided a live feed on its website and paid subscription service CNN All Access. These alternative platforms typically attract far smaller audiences than traditional broadcast or flagship cable channels.
CBS interrupted regular programming to air the speech live but prefaced it with an on-air disclaimer from anchor Tony Dokoupil, who stated that much of what the president has said on the topic is false. The network cut away after roughly 15 minutes to fact-check Trump’s election-fraud claims. Fox News carried the address live, as did some local Fox broadcast affiliates.
🚨🚨🚨BREAKING: ICYMI here is President Trump's full speech just now: 👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/RSEbI39aHw
— Plein Crazy (@PleinCrazy) July 17, 2026
Trump declassified intelligence he claimed showed Chinese interference in U.S. elections, reiterating long-standing attacks on election integrity despite U.S. intelligence findings that found no evidence Beijing altered the 2020 vote. He briefly touched on the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, calling it a war the U.S. is winning, and described the American economy as the strongest ever, but devoted the bulk of his remarks to election security.
The episode comes amid heightened tensions between the Trump administration and several news organizations. FCC Chair Brendan Carr has publicly stated that broadcast networks should air such presidential remarks, saying Americans “have every right to be able to get [them] over the airwaves.”