ABC and NBC Limit Trump Election-Security Speech to Streaming Platforms
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ABC News Live and NBC News Now will carry President Donald Trump's primetime address on July 16, while the broadcast networks have not confirmed airing the speech.
ABC News and NBC News announced Thursday that they will stream President Donald Trump's primetime address on their respective digital platforms, ABC News Live and NBC News Now, rather than on their broadcast channels. NBC said it will follow the speech with a special report on its main network, and ABC said it will monitor the address and may break in for a report depending on developments. CBS News has not yet disclosed its coverage plans, and the three major cable news outlets have also not confirmed how they will handle the hour-long program.
The president is expected to focus on election security and to cite intelligence about foreign interference, framing the discussion around the SAVE America Act, a voting-law proposal that would require additional identification for voter registration. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the speech will address the integrity of elections and promised that the president’s statements would be supported by facts presented that evening.
The decision by the broadcast networks comes amid ongoing debate over how to present claims that the 2020 election was fraudulent, a narrative that has been rejected by courts and linked to the January 6 Capitol attack. Lawmakers, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, have criticized the president’s focus on the issue, describing it as a persistent conspiracy theory.