The nation’s television networks have no legal requirement to air presidential speeches, yet President Donald Trump escalated his conflict with the press on July 17 by calling for ABC and NBC to lose their broadcast licenses after both opted against carrying his primetime remarks about the 2020 election.
The president delivered his accusations of election fraud for approximately 25 minutes, resurrecting claims that have been thoroughly discredited. During the address, he attacked both networks by name and declared their decision not to air his speech “should mean a revocation of their licenses.” He also complained the broadcasters utilize airwaves he estimated as worth billions of dollars “for absolutely no money.”
Trump’s threat contains a fundamental legal error that First Amendment experts were quick to identify. The networks themselves do not hold Federal Communications Commission licenses—those belong to individual local affiliate stations, typically separate corporate entities that transmit programming. The FCC grants such licenses for use of public spectrum, but the agency lacks authority to penalize broadcasters for declining to air particular presidential addresses.
Both Networks Made Streaming Available
While ABC and NBC announced in advance they would continue with regular programming rather than preempt their schedules, both made the speech accessible on their digital streaming services. CBS chose to broadcast the address but cut away with approximately five minutes left. CBS anchor Tony Dokoupil informed viewers before the speech that “much of” what Trump has said on the subject “has been false,” though the network would air it as news coverage.
During his remarks, Trump referenced China, the media and what he characterized as a conspiracy behind his 2020 defeat. The newly declassified material he promoted failed to substantiate his allegations.
A Recurring Pattern Across Administrations
The decision by major broadcasters to skip a presidential address is hardly unprecedented. When President Joe Biden spoke in Philadelphia during September 2022 criticizing Trump and MAGA extremism, ABC, NBC and CBS all declined live coverage, deeming the event partisan messaging ahead of midterm voting.
President Barack Obama encountered the same response in November 2014 when he unveiled immigration policy changes. The networks concluded his announcement was overly political and did not air it. Neither Biden nor Obama responded by threatening broadcast licenses.
According to Greg Lukianoff, who heads the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression as its president and CEO, this was not the first instance of networks passing on a presidential speech and described license threats based on editorial decisions as an assault on free speech.
Audience Access Remained Widespread
Viewers seeking to watch the address had ample opportunity. Cable news channels carried the full speech, as did YouTube, various social media outlets and the White House website, alongside the streaming options from the networks.
Trump has issued similar warnings throughout both his presidencies—the second began January 20, 2025—repeatedly targeting news organizations over coverage he considers unfavorable. The confusion about which entities actually hold FCC licenses has persisted across these incidents. No concrete steps against ABC, NBC or any affiliates have been announced following the July 17 threat, and federal law provides no mechanism to revoke licenses based on programming choices. The episode reinforces a defining feature of the president’s approach to media relations: unfavorable editorial decisions prompt public demands for punishment, regardless of constitutional limits.
