Thank NBC, ABC and CNN for Refusing to Air Trump's Speech

ABC, NBC, and CNN refused to hand Donald Trump a live national megaphone for election lies — and they deserve our thanks.

More than 23,000 people signed our petition urging major TV networks not to broadcast Trump’s primetime speech live. We delivered those signatures to CNN, ABC, NBC, and CBS Thursday afternoon. Hours later, ABC, NBC, and CNN announced they would not air the speech live.

That was the right call. Trump used the speech to push more false claims about the 2020 election, attack voting systems, and lay the groundwork for more voter suppression before the midterms. Broadcasting that kind of propaganda live would not have served the public. It would have helped Trump mislead the public.

Tell ABC, NBC, and CNN: Thank you for refusing to broadcast Trump’s election lies live. Stand strong against his threats and keep defending truth, accuracy, and the First Amendment.

Trump is now doubling down on his attacks on NBC and ABC, demanding that their broadcast licenses be revoked because they refused to air his lies on command.

News networks have a duty to inform the public — not to serve as stenographers for a president trying to rewrite history and undermine confidence in our elections. When powerful people lie, journalists should fact-check, contextualize, and report responsibly. They should not surrender their airwaves to disinformation.

ABC, NBC, and CNN are far from perfect. Like every major media institution, they deserve scrutiny when they fall short. But when they do the right thing under difficult circumstances — especially in the face of threats from Trump — they also deserve credit and appreciation.

Add your name to thank ABC, NBC, and CNN for refusing to broadcast Trump’s lies live — and urge them to stand firm against his attacks on press freedom.

The petition to ABC, NBC, and CNN reads: "Thank you for refusing to broadcast Donald Trump’s election lies live. Stand strong against Trump’s threats, continue reporting with fact-checking and context, and defend truth, accuracy, and the First Amendment."