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Both networks declined to air President Donald Trump's election security address on their broadcast channels, prompting Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to torch the decision on Friday. His reaction was difficult to argue with.
"How shameful is that?" Mullin said.
"ABC and NBC not carrying that. Why? What are they trying to cover up? Why wouldn’t they want to inform the American people? Why are they calling themselves a news outlet if they’re not actually trying to put the news out there?"
That is the question, isn't it?
Fox News aired the speech in its entirety. CBS carried part of it before cutting away. ABC and NBC relegated it to their streaming platforms, while CNN skipped the live address altogether. MSNBC aired only a portion before pulling the plug. Apparently, when the subject is election integrity and newly declassified intelligence, the gatekeepers suddenly decide viewers have seen enough.
Mullin also pointed out the glaring double standard. The same media outlets that enthusiastically repeated claims that the 2020 election was "the most secure election ever" suddenly lost interest when the Trump administration presented evidence it says raises new concerns.
"Two major networks didn't want to cover it? I think the question really should say why. Because they sure covered the other part of it when they were saying that it was the most secure election ever," Mullin said. "What facts did they have? Because they didn’t have facts. They were taking someone’s word for it. President Trump gave facts. Today we’re giving facts."
That inconsistency is impossible to ignore. When the narrative aligned with the media's preferred conclusion, airtime was unlimited. When information surfaced that challenged it, viewers were expected to hunt it down online instead.
During the address, Trump announced the release of previously classified intelligence that, according to the White House, documented vulnerabilities in voting infrastructure and foreign efforts to obtain American voter data. He also urged Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, legislation that would establish federal voter identification and proof of citizenship requirements.
Trump also blasted ABC and NBC for refusing to air the speech.
"They don't like the topic because they know how corrupt our system is, and they don't want to reveal it," Trump said. "They and others in the media are part of a plot. They want to continue this fraud for whatever reason. They want to keep it going. They want to protect the radical left. They can't have a great country, and that's true, you can't have a great country without free and fair elections."
Whether one agrees with Trump's conclusions or not, refusing to broadcast a presidential address on election security while claiming to be committed to informing the public is a curious editorial choice.
Trump also argued the networks should face regulatory consequences.
"Fraud like this should mean a revocation of their licenses," he said. "They use our public multibillion dollar in value airways for absolutely no money."
That proposal runs into a legal reality. The Federal Communications Commission licenses individual local broadcast stations, not the national television networks themselves.
Still, the larger issue remains. Americans can decide for themselves whether Trump's claims are persuasive. News organizations are supposed to provide access to information, not act as referees who determine which presidential addresses the public is permitted to watch.
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