Fact Check: Did Karoline Leavitt threaten ABC and NBC for refusing to air Trump's speech?

WASHINGTON, DC: Following President Donald Trump’s prime-time address on Thursday night, which was boycotted by several news networks, a rumor began circulating on social media claiming that White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt threatened the TV networks over the boycott.

Let us investigate and fact-check the authenticity of the viral claim.

Claim: Karoline Leavitt accused TV networks of violating broadcast charter

According to the viral claim, Leavitt said ABC and NBC would face the full weight of the US government for violating the alleged 1972 On-Air Broadcast Charter by refusing to air the presidential address.

“ABC and NBC violated the On-Air Broadcast Charter of 1972, and they will face the full weight of the United States Government for it. They will pay dearly,” Leavitt allegedly said.

The post stated, “These networks get their airtime for free from the American people with one simple responsibility, to serve the public interest. Refusing to broadcast a presidential address is a direct violation of that long-standing agreement.”

It further accused the networks of choosing politics over their legal and moral obligations.

Fact Check: False, Karoline Leavitt made no such remark

The claim, however, is false, as there are no records of the press secretary condemning the networks for refusing to air Trump's address.

The allegation that refusing to broadcast a presidential address violates the alleged On-Air Broadcast Charter of 1972 is also baseless, as no such regulation exists in the US.

A Google search for Leavitt's alleged remark and the purported broadcast charter found no credible reports from prominent news outlets, which would almost certainly have covered such a statement if it had been made.

There are also no official statements, announcements, or press releases from the White House or the press secretary supporting the claim.

Moreover, the account that shared the claim is not credible. Although it does not explicitly identify itself as a parody account, it has a history of posting fake and unverified claims to drive engagement.

Trump accuses ABC and NBC of censorship 

After his address on July 15, Trump accused major television networks of deliberately refusing to broadcast his prime-time White House address on election security, alleging they sought to conceal what he described as evidence of election-related fraud.

During the speech, Trump singled out ABC and NBC, claiming their decision not to carry the address live was part of a broader effort to shield the public from his allegations.

“In a rare move, NBC and ABC fake news have both said that they would not cover this speech. They knew what it was about because of the fact that they don't like the topic, because they know how corrupt our system is, and they don't want to reveal it,” Trump said.