TV networks refuse to air Trump primetime address live

President Donald Trump used a primetime address from the White House on Thursday, July 16, 2026, to revive disputed claims about past U.S. elections and call for stricter voting laws, while sharply criticizing major television networks that declined to broadcast the speech live on their primary channels. The president argued that broadcasters refusing to carry a presidential address should lose their licenses.

Ahead of the 9 p.m. EDT speech, networks including ABC, NBC, and CNN announced they would not interrupt their regular primetime programming to air the address live. Instead, they opted to stream the remarks on their digital platforms-ABC News Live and ABC News Radio, NBC News NOW, and CNN.com-while reserving the right to break in with news coverage if significant developments occurred. CBS planned a special report but did not clarify if it would carry the speech in full. The decisions reflected concerns that the address could include disputed claims, as the White House had previewed it would focus on election integrity.

During the nationally televised address, which was carried live by some outlets like C-SPAN, Trump again questioned the integrity of previous elections,...