US television networks are considering whether to air a planned primetime address by President Donald Trump, who is expected to focus his remarks on election security, four months before critical midterm elections.

Election Security Concerns

Networks have historically carried most such speeches on the grounds that they provide information of public importance. However, some Democrats, including U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have urged networks not to air the speech, arguing Trump is likely to repeat debunked claims about the 2020 election.

The White House is considering using the speech to disclose sensitive intelligence related to China’s intention or ability to interfere in the 2020 U.S. election. Trump has spent years sowing doubts about electoral outcomes, falsely claiming his 2020 loss to Democrat Joe Biden was rigged.

Spokespeople for the three major US networks — ABC, CBS, and NBC — did not respond to questions about whether they planned to carry the address live. CNN and Fox News also did not respond to a request for comment.

Networks’ Dilemma

Declining to air the speech would risk angering an administration that has already placed unprecedented pressure on the major broadcast networks. Walt Disney-owned ABC is facing two pending inquiries from the Federal Communications Commission, including one examining whether its daytime talk show “The View” violated equal-time rules by interviewing a Democratic Senate candidate in Texas.

Trump has repeatedly attacked NBC and its parent company, Comcast, which he has dubbed “Concast.” Last month he stormed out of an interview with NBC political reporter Kristen Welker after calling the network “a one-sided crooked network.”

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.