Top media networks put on notice after refusing to air Trump's primetime address: 'Serious concerns'

FIRST ON FOX: Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., is asking nan Federal Communications Commission to reappraisal ABC, NBC and CBS' broadcast decisions aft nan networks either declined to aerial unrecorded aliases trim distant from President Donald Trump's July 16 primetime address.

In a missive first obtained by Fox News Digital and sent Monday, Carter asked FCC Chairman Brendan Carr to reappraisal whether nan networks violated their responsibility to "serve nan nationalist interest" and whether their actions should beryllium considered successful early broadcast licence proceedings.

"The nationalist airwaves should pass nan American people, not beryllium utilized by firm executives to determine which matters of nationalist value they are permitted to hear," Carter wrote.

Carter raised "serious concerns" successful nan letter, saying networks tin disagree pinch President Trump's remarks while still airing what he says.

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President Donald Trump addresses nan federation from nan East Room of nan White House successful Washington, D.C., connected July 16, 2026. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

"Broadcasters whitethorn criticize, analyze, aliases fact-check nan President's statements," he wrote. "However, refusing to aerial a awesome statesmanlike reside because executives disagree pinch its contented raises superior concerns that they intended to support Americans successful nan acheronian astir imaginable overseas interference successful our elections."

Carter besides based on that Americans should person been allowed to dress up their ain minds.

"Regardless of governmental affiliation, nan American group deserved to perceive this accusation straight from their President and judge it for themselves," Carter wrote. "Instead, ABC and NBC declined to broadcast nan reside connected their superior tv networks, while CBS trim distant earlier nan President completed his remarks."

Carter added that airing nan reside connected streaming services was not an "adequate substitute for free, over-the-air television—particularly for Americans without reliable broadband access."

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Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA) speaks to supporters of President Donald Trump astatine an arena hosted by Vice President JD Vance connected August 21, 2025 successful Peachtree City, Georgia. (Megan Varner/Getty Images)

The missive follows President Trump's Thursday nighttime primetime address, during which he called for ABC and NBC's broadcast licenses to beryllium revoked, accusing nan networks of being portion of a "plot" to "continue this fraud" and "protect nan extremist left."

"In a uncommon move, NBC and ABC clone news person some said that they would not screen this speech," President Trump said. "They knew what it was astir because they don't for illustration nan topic, because they cognize really corrupt our strategy is and they don't want to uncover it."

President Trump utilized nan much than 20-minute reside to denote nan "immediate declassification and merchandise of captious intelligence" documents he said revealed "shocking vulnerabilities in our predetermination infrastructure."

"America is backmost and doing really well, but we still person a awesome situation that must beryllium urgently addressed, because nary state tin beryllium awesome without adjacent and honorable elections," President Trump said. "You person to spot your country, because if location tin beryllium nary trust, location tin beryllium nary greatness. And that's very simple. No trust, nary greatness."

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Federal Communications Commission Commissioner Brendan Carr (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

According to the White House, nan documents released during nan reside included files related to alleged voting strategy vulnerabilities, China's alleged acquisition of U.S. elector data, a Michigan elector registration investigation and noncitizens connected authorities elector rolls. Fox News Digital could not independently verify nan contents of nan documents aliases President Trump's claims.

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"Just arsenic disturbingly, this captious accusation has been covered up and hidden from you, nan American people, our beautiful, awesome American people, for galore years," President Trump said. "But that each changes correct now."

ABC News and NBC News streamed President Trump's reside connected their integer platforms earlier later airing typical reports summarizing his remarks connected their broadcast networks.

CBS News initially aired study earlier joining President Trump's reside respective minutes aft it began, past cut distant after he criticized ABC and NBC.

Carter said nan issues raised during Trump's reside warranted unrecorded broadcast coverage, adding nan "allegations interest some predetermination integrity and national security.

Fox News Digital reached retired to nan FCC, ABC News, NBC News and CBS News for comment.