‘Lies with no evidence’: US TV channels stop Trump speech live coverage midway

As US President Donald Trump unleashed an attack on rival Joe Biden with his chances of a second term at the White House slipping, several US TV networks stopped the live coverage of his public appearance as he started spreading disinformation.

This was Trump’s first public appearance since election night as vote-counting was still on at several battleground states such as Georgia and Nevada.

While addressing the media at the White House, Trump unleashed a flood of incendiary and unsubstantiated claims in a 17-minute address, insisting that Democrats were using “illegal votes” to “steal the election from us”, reported AFP.

“OK, here we are again in the unusual position of not only interrupting the president of the United States but correcting the president of the United States,” said MSNBC anchor Brian Williams, as the network quickly ended its live coverage.

NBC and ABC News also pulled the plug on their live coverage of Trump, reported AFP.

“What a sad night for the United states of America to hear their president say that, to falsely accuse people of trying to steal the election,” said CNN’s Jake Tapper.

He described it as “lie after lie after lie about the election being stolen,” with no evidence, “just smears.”

Late vote-counting in battleground states showed Democrat Joe Biden steadily closing in on victory. Joe Biden has already secured 264 electoral votes, just 6 short of the required 270.

TRUMP LOSES LAWSUITS, CLAIMS FRAUD

Meanwhile, US courts have dismissed Trump campaign’s lawsuits in Michigan and Georgia related to alleged electoral malpractice. In Michigan, the campaign had sought to stop counting of absentee ballots, while in Georgia it had alleged that even improper ballots were being counted.

At the address, President Donald Trump once again claimed that if “legal” votes are counted he would win the presidential election, in a signal he is in no mood to concede to Democrat Joe Biden.

Trump has repeatedly claimed victory and appealed for vote-counting to be stopped in the states that are yet to give the final results even after two days since Election Day.

“If you count the legal votes I easily win,” Trump said in the appearance at the White House briefing room, complaining that ballots still being counted suggest to him that the election is being rigged and stolen from him.