Representative Buddy Carter has requested that the Federal Communications Commission review broadcast decisions made by ABC, NBC, and CBS regarding coverage of President Donald Trump's July 16 primetime address.
In a formal letter to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, Carter questioned whether the networks violated their public interest obligations by declining to air the speech live or by cutting away from it during the broadcast.
The representative argued that public airwaves should inform the American people rather than allowing corporate executives to determine which matters of national importance the public can hear.
Carter acknowledged that networks can disagree with presidential remarks while still providing coverage, stating that broadcasters may criticize, analyze, or fact-check presidential statements without refusing to air them entirely.
The letter specifically noted that ABC and NBC declined to broadcast the speech on their primary television networks, while CBS cut away before the President completed his remarks.
Carter emphasized that streaming services do not provide an adequate substitute for free over-the-air television, particularly for Americans without reliable broadband access.
During the address, President Trump called for the revocation of ABC and NBC's broadcast licenses, accusing the networks of being part of a plot to continue fraud and protect the radical left.
The President used the more than 20-minute address to announce the immediate declassification and release of critical intelligence documents related to alleged voting system vulnerabilities, China's alleged acquisition of U.S. voter data, a Michigan voter registration investigation, and noncitizens on state voter rolls.
The White House stated that the documents revealed shocking vulnerabilities in election infrastructure and emphasized that no country can be great without fair and honest elections.
ABC News and NBC News streamed the speech on their digital platforms before later airing summaries of the President's remarks on their broadcast networks.
CBS News initially aired analysis before joining President Trump's speech several minutes after it began, then cut away after he criticized ABC and NBC.
Carter argued that the allegations raised during Trump's address warranted live broadcast coverage because they concerned both election integrity and national security.
