ABC and NBC have announced they will not broadcast President Donald Trump’s scheduled Thursday evening address on their primary television channels. Instead, the networks plan to carry the speech on their respective streaming platforms, ABC News Live and NBC News NOW. The address is expected to focus on election security and may include remarks regarding Iran and the economy.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that the breadth of topics, including sensitive intelligence related to foreign interference, provides sufficient reason for live broadcast coverage. Conversely, some Democratic lawmakers, including Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have urged networks to decline the broadcast, citing concerns that the president may repeat unverified claims regarding the 2020 election.
The decision occurs amid regulatory developments involving the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). FCC Chair Brendan Carr expressed support for the networks airing the remarks, stating the public has a right to access the information. Meanwhile, major media parent companies including Disney and Comcast are currently facing federal inquiries or undergoing corporate restructuring, factors that analysts suggest may influence their editorial and operational approaches.