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Trump called for ABC and NBC's broadcast licenses to be revoked after the networks declined to air his primetime speech

On July 16, 2026, ABC and NBC declined to carry President Trump's primetime address on election security live on their broadcast networks, instead offering it on streaming platforms. During the speech, Trump said the networks' decision should "mean a revocation of their licenses," accusing them without evidence of being part of a "plot" to protect "the radical left." CNN also did not air the speech live, while CBS and Fox carried it.

Jurisdiction
Federal
Location
Washington, D.C.

Abuses documented

Actors

On the evening of Thursday, July 16, 2026, ABC News and NBC News declined to interrupt regular programming to carry President Trump's primetime address on election security live on their broadcast networks, instead making it available on their streaming platforms; CNN likewise did not air it live, while Fox carried it live and CBS aired most of it in a special segment with on-air disclaimers about Trump's prior false statements on the topic.

During the 25-minute speech, delivered amid unsubstantiated claims that China had obtained U.S. voter registration data and that the "deep state" was withholding related intelligence, Trump attacked ABC and NBC directly over their decision not to carry it. "Fraud like this should mean a revocation of their licenses," Trump said, adding of the networks, "They use our public multi-billion dollar in value airwaves for absolutely no money. They pay nothing." He accused ABC, NBC and "others in the media" of being part of a "plot" to "protect the radical left," without offering evidence.

Neither network stated a reason for declining to carry the address live; networks have periodically turned down live carriage of presidential speeches viewed as overtly political. The FCC, which Trump does not control directly but whose chair he appoints, holds authority over broadcast license renewals -- authority a prior FCC chair invoked in September 2025 to pressure ABC over a late-night host's remarks, resulting in that host's suspension.

Why we recorded this

The FCC's authority over broadcast licenses gives the federal government unusual leverage over television news: a president publicly calling for a network's license to be revoked, however informal, invites regulatory retaliation against editorial decisions the First Amendment protects. When a network's choice not to air a political address is met with a threat against its core operating authority, the government risks using regulatory power to punish coverage rather than regulate the airwaves in the public interest.

Sources

  1. Donald Trump Says ABC And NBC Should Lose Broadcast Licenses Because They Didn't Carry His Primetime Address On Election Claims — Deadline primary accessed July 18, 2026
  2. Trump Threatens ABC And NBC Broadcast Licenses For Snubbing His Speech — Forbes secondary accessed July 18, 2026
  3. Trump says ABC, NBC licenses should be revoked over refusal to air speech on election integrity — The Spokesman-Review secondary accessed July 18, 2026

See also