Trump threatens to revoke ABC, NBC broadcast licenses for not airing his speech live

Published Jul 17, 04:19 AM UTC

President Donald Trump threatened to revoke the broadcast licenses of ABC and NBC after the networks declined to air his primetime speech on July 16, 2026, where he accused China of illegally accessing U.S. voter data and repeated unsubstantiated claims about election fraud. CNN also did not carry the speech live, while CBS aired most of it with disclaimers about Trump's previous falsehoods. Trump claimed without evidence that the networks and other media were engaged in a plot to continue fraud and protect the radical left. He argued that their refusal to air his speech constituted fraud warranting license revocation. Fox News carried the speech but added a disclaimer noting they had not seen evidence to support Trump's claims about electronic voting machines being vulnerable. The incident highlights ongoing tensions between the former president and mainstream media outlets over coverage of his election-related statements.