Screens inside the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House display U.S. President Donald Trump speaking about election security during an address to the nation from the East Room of the White House, except for ABC and NBC, who chose to not air the address live on their primary platforms, in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 16, 2026. REUTERS/Kylie Cooper TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Major broadcast networks rejected President Donald Trump's request for primetime coverage of his Thursday evening address, choosing to air regular programming instead, reports show.
"NBC and ABC will not carry Trump on their respective networks but will carry on their digital feeds, NBC News Now and ABC News Live. Expect CBS to do the same," reported the Wall Street Journal's Joe Flint hours before the speech.
NBC scheduled "The Americas," a Tom Hanks-narrated nature documentary focusing on Gulf Coast swamps and wildlife, while ABC planned to air the Elizabeth Banks-hosted game show "Press Your Luck."
When asked if CNN would air Trump's address, Flint explained cable networks have more flexibility to interrupt programming than broadcast networks.
Networks provided no advance notice of carrying the speech, breaking from traditional protocol for presidential addresses on matters of national importance.
The address was expected to focus on elections and Trump's baseless 2020 election fraud claims.
“A live feed of the speech, alongside analysis and expert commentary, will be available on CNN.com and available on CNN’s All Access streaming platform,” a CNN spokesperson told The Hill.
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