Tensions between the Trump administration and the media intensified after major U.S. broadcasters did not carry President Donald Trump's national address live.
According to the Associated Press and Reuters on the 16th (local time), among the three terrestrial networks, ABC and NBC, and the news channel CNN, did not broadcast Trump's address live on TV at 9 p.m. Eastern on the 16th (10 a.m. on the 17th in Korea).
ABC and NBC kept their regular lineups, such as a quiz show and an animal program, while airing only portions of the address, and CNN also aired the regular program hosted by Kaitlan Collins as is. Instead, these networks streamed the address live on their own platforms and mobile websites. Of the three terrestrial networks, CBS began live coverage a few minutes after the address started.
In the United States, when a president delivers a major policy or national message in prime time, it is customary for major broadcasters to air it live simultaneously. By contrast, pro-Trump outlets such as Fox News carried the address live.
White House Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a pre-briefing that "broadcasters should air it live and the American people should watch," but it did not sway them.
President Trump hinted at retaliation. During the address, aiming at networks not airing it live, he said they "use public airwaves worth billions of dollars for free yet do not report honestly," adding that "their broadcast licenses should be revoked."
Media experts said broadcasters have the right under the First Amendment to decide what to air. Some analysis said the decision also reflects tensions between the Trump administration and major networks.
Meanwhile, in the address, President Trump claimed that evidence had emerged that China had extensively interfered in the 2020 U.S. presidential election, in which he lost, in an attempt to influence the outcome. Earlier, some Democrats, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, urged major broadcasters not to air the address live, saying Trump might repeat baseless claims.