The nation’s largest television networks are drawing a line when it comes to Donald Trump’s latest primetime address.
NBC, ABC and CNN have all decided not to carry Trump’s election-focused speech live on their primary broadcasts Wednesday night, opting instead to stream the remarks online while reserving the right to cut in news breaks.
The move means viewers hoping to watch Trump’s speech on traditional network television will have to seek it out on streaming platforms or other outlets, rather than finding it automatically airing during primetime.
ABC said it will carry the speech on ABC News Live and ABC News Radio instead of interrupting its regular programming. The network also plans to provide coverage after the address ends and emphasized that it stands ready to break into programming if Trump makes news that warrants it.
“ABC News will run President Trump’s speech on ABC News Live and ABC News Radio with comprehensive, anchored coverage,” an ABC spokesperson said. “We will also cover the speech in our regular network newscasts and, as always, our Special Report team is fully prepared to break into network programming to deliver live updates and reporting should significant developments occur.”
NBC is taking a similar approach, choosing to stream the address rather than airing it across its broadcast network.
CNN also declined to air the speech uninterrupted. Instead, the cable network said it will monitor the remarks as they happen, cutting in with analysis and commentary from its political, intelligence and election experts. A live feed of Trump’s speech will still be available on CNN’s website for viewers who want to watch it in full.
CBS is the lone major broadcast network planning a 9 p.m. special report, though it has not said whether it will carry the entire speech live or simply provide updates as it unfolds.
Fox News had not announced its plans as of publication.
The networks’ decisions are likely to anger some of Trump’s supporters, but they are far from unprecedented. Television networks have routinely decided whether presidential speeches justify interrupting scheduled programming, and they have previously declined to air certain addresses by Presidents Joe Biden, Barack Obama and George W. Bush.
This time, the hesitation appears to stem from uncertainty over what Trump plans to say.
The White House has offered few specifics beyond saying the speech will focus on “election integrity”—a phrase Trump has repeatedly used while promoting false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him. The address has fueled speculation that he could once again push debunked election fraud claims or make new allegations ahead of the midterm elections. There have also been reports that he may question the legitimacy of Georgia’s Democratic senators.
The decision stands in contrast to earlier this year, when the major networks carried Trump’s address during the Iran conflict live because it involved an unfolding national security crisis.
This time, NBC, ABC and CNN appear to have concluded that Trump’s planned election speech doesn’t automatically warrant uninterrupted primetime coverage, choosing instead to monitor the event and report only if there is actual news to report.
