Networks’ Coverage Decisions on Trump’s Election Security Speech

ABC News, NBC News, and CNN opted not to broadcast President Donald Trump’s primetime speech live on Thursday, which focused on election security and claimed vulnerabilities during the 2020 election.

Trump asserted that “vital information” regarding the 2020 election was “covered up and hidden” from the public. He accused China of interfering in the election, alleging newly declassified documents included CIA reports indicating the Chinese Communist Party tried to prevent his reelection, along with FBI intelligence alleging China’s attempts to fabricate illegal ballots for Joe Biden.

Network Strategies

The five liberal networks created separate strategies for addressing Trump’s remarks. ABC, NBC, and CNN decided against live airing. Instead, CNN treated Trump’s speech as a news event, providing analysis and commentary. The speech was available on CNN’s website and streaming services. CNN’s John King explained this approach, citing Trump’s tendency for misleading statements concerning election security and emphasizing the importance of independently verifying newly released documents.

ABC and NBC Coverage

ABC News delivered Trump’s address via its streaming platform and ABC News Radio, while their regular newscasts included coverage. Likewise, NBC News broadcast the speech on its streaming platform and later presented a special report on television. Both networks provided recaps of Trump’s statements shortly after the speech ended, during regular programming.

Certain ABC and NBC stations, owned by Sinclair Broadcasting Group, diverged by pre-empting network content to show the speech live.

Trump’s Criticism of Networks

During his address, Trump criticized ABC and NBC, labeling them “fake news,” contending that they avoided the topic due to system corruption. He suggested they are involved in a plot to perpetuate fraud and protect the radical left, arguing that multi-billion dollar airwaves should demand honest elections and reporting.

ABC News and NBC News did not immediately comment on these allegations.

Alternative Network Choices

CBS News aired a special report, offering initial analysis before showing parts of Trump’s speech, switching back to analysts after Trump’s criticism of ABC and NBC. MS NOW covered the speech’s first 15 minutes before shifting to commentary. Fox News broadcast the speech in full.

Avoiding presidential addresses is not new. In 2014, ABC, CBS, and NBC skipped President Barack Obama’s immigration speech. The networks similarly opted out of President Joe Biden’s 2022 Philadelphia speech criticizing MAGA Republicans.