President Donald Trump was served a heaping helping of humiliation ahead of his primetime address Thursday night, with several major broadcast networks snubbing the planned remarks in favor of a nature documentary and game 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," Wall Street Journal reporter Joe Flint reported on X, hours before the speech was to begin at 9 p.m. Eastern Time.
It wasn't immediately known if CNN would also snub the address, Flint explained.
"But cable news can dip in and out and has a lot more freedom than a broadcast network that in theory needs to let affiliates know what's up and the producers of whatever show is airing etc etc," he posted.
The move comes as several networks were quiet about whether they would air the president's speech to the nation, which is expected to focus on elections, including his ongoing baseless fraud claims about the 2020 election. The time slot across networks continued to display "their standard scheduled content," with no indication that coverage would be interrupted for the presidential address.
NBC News, according to TV Insider, is scheduled to feature its series "The Americas," a nature documentary narrated by legendary actor Tom Hanks. This week's episode was set to focus on the Gulf Coast and its swamps and wetlands that are home to black bears and alligators.
The network said it planned to broadcast a special report following the address, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
ABC plans to air the Elizabeth Banks-hosted game show "Press Your Luck" during that hour, TV Insider reported.
