He claimed US intelligence agencies, including the CIA, withheld information about Chinese election interference from him during his first term and downplayed it, adding he has directed the DOJ, FBI, CIA, and Office of the Director of National Intelligence to investigate the matter further.
Accuses media of being ‘part of a plot’
His speech also covered broader election integrity issues, such as voting machine vulnerabilities and the need for measures like the Save America Act, proof of citizenship, voter ID, limits on mail-in ballots.
ABC, NBC and CNN decided not to air the remarks live. CBS said it was ” airing a special report” during the address.
Trump said that US networks that were not airing a speech should have their licenses revoked, implying that they are involved in attempts to rig elections.
“They and others in the media are part of a plot. Fraud like this should mean a revocation of their licenses. They use our public multi-billion-dollar-in-value airwaves for absolutely no money. They pay nothing,” he said, calling out ABC and NBC by name.
Ahead of his address to the nation, Trump had promised “big news” on a topic that he has revived ahead of crucial midterm elections in November in which his Republican Party could lose control of Congress.
His last major televised address to the nation was on April 1, when he gave his first full public justification of the Iran war more than a month after the US-Israeli military attacks began.
