Major broadcast networks ABC and NBC have announced they will not air President Donald Trump's prime-time address on Thursday night, during which he is expected to discuss election integrity and other pressing issues.
White House officials have indicated the speech will cover a range of topics, with sources suggesting to Reuters that Trump might address alleged interference by China in the 2020 presidential election. The president himself stated ahead of the remarks that he has "really, really big news" to share.
Instead of airing the speech on their main cable networks, ABC confirmed it would be available via its streaming channels. The network stated it would cover the speech in its regular newscasts and remain prepared to break into programming for live updates if significant developments arise.
NBC is also planning to broadcast Trump's remarks on its free streaming service, NBC News Now, according to a source familiar with the matter.
As of Thursday, spokespeople for CBS News and Fox News had not yet announced their intentions regarding the broadcast of the president's speech.
CNN indicated to The Hollywood Reporter that the network intends to cover the speech as a news event, providing analysis from its experts on elections, intelligence, and the FBI.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt informed reporters at a briefing on Thursday that the war in Iran could also be a topic of discussion during the president's remarks.
