US Broadcasters Refuse to Air Trump Speech Live, Keep Regular Programming Instead

CNN, ABC, NBC Air Regular Programs
Trump Reacts Strongly: "Broadcast Licenses Should Be Revoked"

According to the Associated Press and other outlets, on the 16th (local time), major U.S. broadcasters did not air President Donald Trump’s national address live.

Reports state that among the three major terrestrial broadcasters, ABC and NBC, as well as the news channel CNN, did not broadcast President Trump’s address—held at 9 p.m. on the 16th—live on television. Both ABC and NBC maintained their scheduled programming, airing quiz shows and animal programs, and only partially covered segments of the speech during their shows. CNN continued to air its regular program, hosted by anchor Kaitlan Collins.

These broadcasters did livestream the speech through their own streaming platforms and mobile websites. CBS, one of the three major terrestrial broadcasters, began to air the speech live a few minutes after it had started. Pro-Trump networks like Fox, meanwhile, broadcast the address live.

In the U.S. broadcasting industry, it is customary for major networks to air a presidential prime-time address containing significant policies or national messages live and simultaneously. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt recently emphasized the importance of the address at a briefing, stating, "Broadcasters should air it live, and the American people need to see it."

President Trump immediately hinted at retaliation. During the address, he criticized the broadcasters who were not airing his speech live, stating, "They are using billions of dollars’ worth of public airwaves for free and yet do not report honestly," and added, "Their broadcast licenses should be revoked."

This incident is being analyzed in the context of ongoing conflicts between the Trump administration and certain broadcasters. ABC’s parent company, Disney, is currently under investigation by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regarding potential violations tied to the daytime talk show "The View." The FCC could begin procedures to revoke broadcast licenses for eight ABC stations owned by Disney as early as next month. The FCC is also investigating diversity policies at NBC and its parent company, Comcast.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.