In a rare show of media solidarity, several news networks in the United States stopped the live coverage of the speech of US President Donald Trump from the White House halfway which they term was laced with lies and disinformation.
This was Trumps first public appearance since election night as vote-counting was still on at several battleground states such as Georgia and Nevada.
"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.
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While addressing the media at the White House, President Donald 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.
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."
Vote counting which is still on showed Democrat Joe Biden steadily closing in on victory. Joe Biden has already secured 264 electoral votes, just 6 short of the required 270.
At the address, President Donald Trump once again claimed that if "legal" votes are counted he would win the presidential election, in a signal that 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.
(With input from agencies)
