Why ABC and NBC Declined to Interrupt Programming for Trump’s Primetime Election Speech
President Donald Trump’s primetime address on Thursday drew attention not only for its content but also for the television networks that chose not to broadcast it live.
ABC and NBC kept regular programming while Fox and CBS aired Trump’s primetime election speech.
Rather than proving claims that China or Venezuela hacked American voting machines during the 2020 election, the moment instead underscored that Trump was unable to secure live coverage from every major broadcaster. During his speech, he criticized the decision, describing it as part of a "plot."
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ABC stayed with a new episode of Press Your Luck, hosted by Elizabeth Banks, while NBC continued airing a rerun of its nature series The Americas. Neither network interrupted its scheduled primetime lineup.
Fox News, however, carried most of the speech live. CBS also interrupted a rerun of Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage to air a special report anchored by Tony Dokoupil.
The differing approaches reflect how network treatment of presidential addresses has evolved over time. In previous decades, major speeches from presidents such as Ronald Reagan following the Challenger disaster, George H.W. Bush at the start of the Gulf War, and Jimmy Carter during his "crisis of confidence" address were routinely carried nationwide.
More recently, networks have become more selective. In 2014, the four major broadcast networks declined to air Barack Obama’s immigration reform address, viewing it as too political to replace regular programming. Five years later, those same networks carried Trump’s border-wall address despite its political nature.
The circumstances surrounding Thursday’s speech were also unusual because the White House reportedly did not make the traditional request for network airtime. Instead, Trump announced he would reveal "really big news," apparently expecting broadcasters to adjust their schedules.
Cable news coverage also varied. CNN relied on a panel led by Kaitlan Collins to discuss and analyze the address while it played off-screen. MSNBC aired the opening 17 minutes before shifting to discussion, while Fox News remained with the speech from beginning to end.
