ABC News, NBC News, and CNN declined to air President Donald Trump’s primetime address on election security live on Thursday, opting instead to stream the speech on their digital platforms and provide on-air analysis afterward. The address, delivered from the White House, focused on what Trump described as newly declassified intelligence revealing vulnerabilities in the 2020 election and alleged interference by China.
Trump claimed that the declassified documents include CIA reporting that the Chinese Communist Party sought to prevent his reelection, as well as FBI intelligence alleging that China attempted to manufacture illegal ballots for Joe Biden. He asserted that this information had been “covered up and hidden” from the American people. The speech was part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to highlight election security concerns, though many of the claims have been disputed by election officials and fact-checkers.
In the lead-up to the address, the networks developed individual plans for handling the event. A CNN spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the network would cover the speech “as a news event, and monitor it for news developments,” providing on-air analysis and commentary. CNN anchor John King explained to viewers that the network chose not to air the speech live “because this president, sadly, has a history of misleading, and in some cases, simply false statements” on elections and election security. King added that CNN wanted to independently verify the declassified documents released by the Trump administration.
ABC News carried the speech on its streaming platform and ABC News Radio, while NBC News similarly streamed the address and later aired a special report on its broadcast network. Both networks aired recaps of Trump’s remarks after he finished during their normally scheduled programming. However, ABC and NBC stations owned by Sinclair Broadcasting Group did preempt the networks and aired the speech live. CBS News aired a special report that initially provided analysis before cutting to Trump’s speech minutes after he began, then cut away after Trump attacked ABC and NBC. MSNBC carried the first 15 minutes of the speech before switching to commentary. Fox News carried the speech in its entirety.
During his address, Trump criticized ABC and NBC for their decisions, calling them “fake news.” He said, “They don’t like the topic because they know how corrupt our system is, and they don’t want to reveal it. They and others in the media are part of a plot. They want to continue this fraud for whatever reason.” He further argued that such decisions should lead to a revocation of their broadcast licenses, noting that networks use public airwaves at no cost. “All we want is honesty in our elections and honesty in reporting,” Trump said.
The decision by major networks to skip a presidential primetime address is not without precedent. ABC, CBS, and NBC chose not to air President Barack Obama’s 2014 primetime speech on immigration. Similarly, the three broadcast networks avoided President Joe Biden’s 2022 speech outside Philadelphia’s Independence Hall that attacked MAGA Republicans. These instances highlight the ongoing debate over how news organizations should handle presidential addresses that may contain disputed or controversial claims.
The White House has framed the declassification of documents as a transparency measure, while critics argue that Trump’s allegations about the 2020 election have been repeatedly debunked by courts, state election officials, and his own administration’s cybersecurity experts. The networks’ decisions reflect a broader journalistic approach to balance the public’s right to hear the president with the responsibility to avoid amplifying unsubstantiated claims.
ABC News and NBC News did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital. The episode underscores the continuing friction between the Trump administration and mainstream media outlets, particularly over coverage of election integrity issues that remain a central theme in Trump’s political messaging.