DHS chief Markwayne Mullin blasts ABC, NBC over ‘shameful’ decision to skip Trump election speech
Markwayne Mullin accused ABC and NBC of covering up election security information after both networks declined to air Trump's primetime address.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin blasted ABC and NBC on Friday for declining to air President Donald Trump's election-security address on their broadcast networks Thursday night, accusing the outlets of withholding information from Americans as the midterms approach.
"How shameful is that?" he said.
"ABC and NBC not carrying that," he continued. "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?"
ABC, NBC, CNN AVOID AIRING TRUMP'S PRIMETIME ELECTION SECURITY ADDRESS LIVE
CBS aired part of Trump's remarks before cutting away, while Fox News carried the entire speech live. ABC and NBC did not show the address on their broadcast networks but offered it through streaming platforms. CNN did not air the speech live, while MS NOW aired part of it before also cutting away.
The secretary argued that the networks had previously amplified assurances about the 2020 election while rejecting Trump's presentation of newly declassified intelligence.
"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."
TRUMP RELEASES DECLASSIFIED ELECTION INTELLIGENCE, SAYS IT REVEALS 'SHOCKING VULNERABILITIES'
Trump announced the release of previously classified intelligence that the White House documented vulnerabilities in voting infrastructure and foreign efforts to obtain American voter data. He also pressed Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, which would impose federal voter identification and proof-of-citizenship requirements.
The president also directly criticized ABC and NBC over their decisions not to broadcast the speech on television.
"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."
TRUMP ELECTION INTEGRITY PUSH EXPOSES MASSIVE AMOUNT OF DEAD PEOPLE ON NORTH CAROLINA VOTER ROLLS
Trump argued that the networks should face regulatory consequences for not carrying his remarks.
"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."
The Federal Communications Commission licenses individual broadcast stations, not national networks.