FCC Urged to Review Networks’ Coverage Decision on Trump’s Address

Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., has requested that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) review the broadcast decisions made by ABC, NBC, and CBS regarding President Donald Trump’s primetime address on July 16. Carter’s appeal came in a letter sent to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, which criticized the networks for choosing not to air or cutting away from the speech.

In the letter, obtained by Fox News Digital, Carter questioned whether the networks breached their duty to “serve the public interest” and suggested that this should be evaluated in future broadcast license considerations. He emphasized that the airwaves should inform citizens, not be controlled by corporate interests to filter national matters.

Carter expressed concerns that broadcasters can critique or fact-check a presidential address, but they should not refuse to air it based on disagreement with the content.

During Trump’s address from the East Room of the White House, he discussed election security, alleging vulnerabilities and foreign interference attempts. Carter argued that Americans, regardless of political leaning, deserved to hear the President directly and form their own opinions.

ABC and NBC opted not to broadcast the address on their primary networks, while CBS cut away before Trump finished speaking. Carter noted that streaming the speech online was insufficient for those without stable internet access, emphasizing the importance of free, over-the-air television.

This call for action follows Trump’s demand for ABC and NBC’s broadcast licenses to be revoked. During his address, he accused the networks of being complicit in hiding election-related fraud. Trump disclosed the “immediate declassification and release of critical intelligence” concerning alleged election infrastructure vulnerabilities.

Documents referenced during the speech included claims about voting system weaknesses, Chinese activities, and issues in Michigan’s voter rolls. However, Fox News Digital has been unable to independently verify these claims or the documents’ content.

ABC and NBC did stream Trump’s speech on their digital platforms before producing special reports summarizing the address on their networks. CBS aired an analysis before joining the broadcast after it began but cut away following Trump’s criticism of ABC and NBC.

Carter maintained that the issues presented in Trump’s address were significant enough to merit live national broadcast coverage, as they pertain to both election integrity and national security.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the FCC and the networks in question for their responses.