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President Donald Trump has called for the revocation of broadcast licenses for networks that did not air his primetime speech live on Thursday (July 16). During the address from the East Room of the White House, Trump accused China of manipulating U.S. elections. ABC and NBC chose to stream the speech rather than broadcast it live, while CBS aired part of the speech with disclaimers. Trump criticized these networks as "fake news" and suggested their actions were part of a cover-up.
According to Reuters, Trump stated, "Fraud like this should mean a revocation of their licenses." He accused the networks of engaging in a plot to hide corruption and protect the radical left. Despite his claims, there is no evidence of widespread voter fraud in U.S. elections.
Forbes reported that Trump has previously threatened to revoke broadcast licenses for negative coverage. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has already launched investigations into broadcasters' practices, which could have significant business implications. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee, has denied that these probes were influenced by the White House.
Axios noted that CBS and Fox were the only major networks to preempt their programming for Trump's speech. The Trump administration has increased pressure on networks through FCC investigations, raising concerns among free speech advocates.