Trump threatens to revoke licences of ABC, NBC and CNN

US President Donald Trump has criticised ABC, NBC and CNN for not airing his prime-time address on election security on their main television channels, accusing the media networks of "conspiracy" and suggesting their broadcast licences should be revoked.

In the address on Thursday, July 16, Trump said, "The fake news media ABC and NBC have decided not to broadcast my speech. For this type of deception, their broadcast licences should be revoked."

However, both ABC and NBC aired the address on their digital streaming platforms. ABC said it was available on ABC News Live and ABC News Radio, while NBC streamed it on NBC News Now. CNN also aired key portions of the address on its website and subscription streaming service CNN All Access.

Media experts noted that under the First Amendment, television networks have the freedom to decide what to broadcast.

In his address, Trump also claimed that intelligence he possessed showed Chinese interference in US elections. However, US intelligence agencies have found no evidence that China influenced the 2020 election outcome.

Before the address, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt had said Trump would speak on issues including Iran, the economy and other important matters. However, election-related allegations dominated the address.