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Trump threatens to revoke ABC, NBC broadcast licenses for not airing his speech live
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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.
Source report
Topline
President Donald Trump attacked ABC and NBC and called for their broadcast licenses to be revoked after the two networks declined to carry his primetime speech on Thursday night. During the address, Trump accused China of illegally accessing U.S. voter data and reiterated his long-standing grievances about election security in the country.
Key Facts
- In addition to NBC and ABC, CNN also did not carry the president’s speech live. CBS aired most of the address in a special segment anchored by Tony Dokoupil, accompanied by major disclaimers about Trump’s previous falsehoods regarding the 2020 elections.
- During his speech, Trump noted that NBC and ABC News, in a “rare move,” were not covering his remarks live—though there have been previous instances of networks not preempting their schedules for a presidential address.
- Without offering any evidence, Trump accused the networks and “others in the media” of being engaged in “a plot,” claiming, “they know how corrupt our system is and they don’t want to reveal it.”
- Despite no evidence of widespread voter fraud in U.S. elections, Trump said the networks want to “continue this fraud…keep it going” and “protect the radical left.”
- The president then appeared to characterize NBC and ABC’s refusal to air his speech as an act of “fraud” and stated that this “should mean a revocation of their licenses.”
- Insisting that “this can’t be allowed to continue,” Trump railed against the networks for using “our public multi-billion dollar in value airways for absolutely no money.”
Tangent
Although Fox News carried the president’s speech in its entirety at one point, the network later added a disclaimer about Trump’s claims. A Fox News anchor said: “We…heard the president make claims that electronic voting machines are vulnerable and easily compromised. Fox News has not seen the evidence yet and is not in a position to evaluate the accuracy of the president's statement and claims.”
Source
Forbes - BusinessWestern
Part of this Story
Trump Threatens to Revoke ABC and NBC Licenses Over Speech Refusal