President Donald Trump said American television networks that didn’t air a speech he gave on 16 July night should lose their licences.
Speaking during his address to the nation, which focused on election security, Trump also said that TV networks that did not air his speech were engaged in a “plot”.
“They and others in the media are part of a plot. They want to continue this fraud for whatever reason,” he said. “Fraud like this should mean a revocation of their licences”.
Two of the three major US television networks, NBC and ABC, as well as CNN did not broadcast the primetime address by Trump on their primary platforms, risking the ire of the administration.
Networks enjoy broad First Amendment rights to decide what to broadcast, experts say. Historically, though, broadcasters carried most such speeches on the grounds that they provided information of public importance.
