CBS News cut away from President Donald Trump's prime-time speech on election fraud Thursday night, joining late and finishing coverage before he concluded his remarks. The decision followed similar refusals by ABC and NBC, which did not air the speech at all.
CBS anchor Tony Dokoupil explained the network's decision prior to airing a portion of the speech, stating, "Much of what the President has said on [security of American elections] has been false." He added, "There is an argument that it’s irresponsible to air the president’s speech tonight. But this speech will be made. It will be news. And it’s our job to cover the news."
CBS ended its broadcast approximately five minutes before Trump finished speaking. During the portion of the speech that was aired, Trump called on ABC and NBC to lose their broadcast licenses for their decision not to air his remarks. The president also spoke about election security and fraud claims from the East Room of the White House.