TV Networks: Don’t Broadcast Trump’s Election Lies Speech

Donald Trump is planning a primetime speech Thursday night — and TV networks must not hand him a live microphone to spread election lies.

Trump says his 9 p.m. ET address will focus on "free and fair elections," voting machines, and what he calls "really big news." But after years of Trump's lies about the 2020 election, this has all the signs of another attempt to use national television to undermine trust in our democracy.

ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, and every major network has a choice to make. They can refuse to air Trump’s speech live, fact-check any newsworthy excerpts before broadcasting them, and protect viewers from real-time disinformation. Or they can give election lies the power and reach of a national address.

DEADLINE THURSDAY: Tell major TV networks not to broadcast Trump’s election lies speech live. 

We are collecting signatures until noon ET Thursday, then delivering them to TV networks Thursday afternoon before Trump’s scheduled speech. Network executives need to hear from the public before they make the wrong call.

Trump has repeatedly attacked voting rights, voting machines, election workers, and the legitimacy of elections he does not like. Broadcasting those claims live gives them undeserved credibility and forces voters, officials, and journalists to clean up the damage afterward.

Television networks are not obligated to air propaganda in real time. They can report on the president without becoming a delivery system for conspiracy theories. They can cover the news responsibly, show only verified clips, provide context, and refuse to let their platforms be used to weaken democracy ahead of the midterms.

Add your name before the noon ET Thursday deadline and demand TV networks protect viewers, voters, and election workers from live election disinformation.

The petition to major TV networks reads: "Do not broadcast Donald Trump’s Thursday night election speech live. If the speech contains newsworthy material, report on it only after fact-checking, contextualizing, and refusing to amplify false claims about elections, voting machines, or voting rights."