President Donald Trump on Thursday renewed his long-running attacks on broadcast news outlets, saying networks that he believes are “against” him should face scrutiny and even potential loss of their broadcast licences after ABC suspended late-night host Jimmy Kimmel following an on-air monologue.
The remarks came as ABC announced the indefinite preemption of Jimmy Kimmel Live! after Kimmel’s comments about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk provoked a wave of conservative outrage and calls from some station owners to pull the show. Trump celebrated the suspension and told reporters that, in his view, networks that give him overwhelmingly negative coverage — “they give me only bad press” — were failing the public and “maybe their licenses should be taken away.”
Trump’s suggestion — that the Federal Communications Commission or other authorities re-examine licences for broadcasters perceived as hostile to him — prompted immediate alarm from critics who called it an attempt to use government power to punish dissent and chill free expression. FCC rules require licensees to serve the public interest, but media-freedom advocates and lawmakers warned that using license revocations as political reprisal would raise serious First Amendment and rule-of-law questions. Democrats and free-speech groups urged scrutiny of any effort that could be seen as leveraging regulators to silence critics.
The suspension touched off protests from Hollywood figures and unions. Performers, writers and producers — including prominent voices in the industry — described ABC’s decision as capitulation to political pressure and said it set a worrying precedent for editorial independence and creative speech. Several station groups, including Nexstar and Sinclair affiliates, had already said they were dropping the program amid the controversy, a move that precipitated ABC’s preemption announcement.
Thursday’s comments fit into a pattern: Trump has for years accused major networks of biased coverage and has at times urged punitive measures. In the moments after the Kimmel suspension he reiterated an oft-repeated claim — that most coverage of him is negative — and suggested that FCC chair Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee he has praised, should act. Critics argue that the president’s rhetoric and pressure on regulators undermines the norms that separate political actors from independent media oversight.
What happens next
Any formal effort to revoke a network licence would face legal, procedural and political hurdles. Broadcasters point out that licence revocations are rare, involve lengthy administrative processes and are subject to judicial review. Meanwhile, the immediate fallout — public protests, calls for resignations and a heated debate in Congress is likely to keep the issue in the headlines and deepen partisan divisions over media freedom and regulatory independence.
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