Trump Suggests Pulling Licenses From Networks Critical Of Him

Topline

President Donald Trump said Thursday that “maybe” licenses should be taken away from television networks with shows critical of him, his latest suggestion about deplatforming critics after ABC’s removal of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” from the air.

Trump made the comments while aboard Air Force One. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

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Key Facts

Trump made the comment aboard Air Force One, according to multiple reporters, repeating a prior claim that television networks are “97% against [me], they give me only bad publicity or press. I mean, they’re getting a license. I would think maybe their license should be taken away,” according to CBS News White House reporter Kathryn Watson.

The president did not cite a source for the 97% figure, which he brought up last month when he alleged “ABC & NBC FAKE NEWS, two of the worst and most biased networks in history, give me 97% BAD STORIES.”

Trump then noted decisions around licenses will be up to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, who on Wednesday supported decisions from ABC affiliate broadcasters like Nexstar and Sinclair to pull Kimmel’s show.

Prior to ABC’s announcement about Kimmel, Carr appeared on a podcast to threaten to take action against the host, and said broadcasters “have a license granted by us at the FCC, and that comes with it an obligation to operate in the public interest,” noting, “We can do this the easy way or the hard way.”

Shortly after, Nexstar and then ABC announced their decisions.

It is not possible for Carr to remove licenses from news networks like ABC, as they are not licensed by the FCC, which instead provides licenses to broadcast stations like Nexstar that may own affiliated stations from networks like CBS, Fox and ABC.

During the Air Force One flight Thursday, Trump also claimed all evening shows do is “hit Trump,” adding, “They’re licensed. They’re not allowed to do that,” according to CNN White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins.

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What Else Has Trump Said About Broadcast Licenses?

Last month, when the president called for ABC and NBC to have their licenses revoked. Trump said without evidence the networks were “untruthful” and suggested that “at a minimum,” they should be forced to “pay up BIG” for using public airwaves, indicating such a fee could cost millions of dollars a year.

News Peg

Trump’s comments come shortly after Kimmel’s removal from ABC, which said his show would be “pre-empted indefinitely” without providing a reason for the decision. Nexstar and Sinclair, which respectively own dozens of ABC affiliate stations, separately said they would stop broadcasting the host’s show. Nexstar pointed to a monologue Kimmel gave this week in which he said, “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.” Kimmel did not endorse a candidate in the 2024 presidential election, but has long been critical of Trump, telling viewers on election day, “It was a terrible night for everyone who voted against him. And guess what? It was a bad night for everyone who voted for him too. You just don’t realize it yet.”

What To Watch For

Broadcasters that own ABC affiliates have not indicated they intend to bring Kimmel back on the air yet. However, Sinclair has called for a direct apology from the host to Kirk’s family in addition to a “meaningful personal donation to the Kirk Family and Turning Point USA,” the conservative nonprofit formerly led by Kirk. Meanwhile, keeping Kimmel off the air could keep Nexstar in the Trump administration’s good graces as the firm looks to acquire broadcast company TEGNA for $6.2 billion. The FCC will need to raise its 40% broadcast ownership cap for the deal to advance.

Key Background

Carr has worked closely with the president’s agenda. After Nexstar’s announcement, Carr said the decision to remove Kimmel from the air was “an unprecedented decision” and that it is “important for broadcasters to push back on Disney programming that they determine falls short of community.” Earlier this year the FCC approved Skydance Media’s $8 billion acquisition of Paramount after Skydance vowed to remove diversity, equity and inclusion considerations from its business practices, a commitment lauded by Carr, who said the decision “marks another step forward in the FCC’s efforts to eliminate invidious forms of DEI discrimination.” The merger was also approved after CBS, a Paramount subsidiary, settled a $16 million lawsuit levied by Trump alleging a “60 Minutes” interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris was deceptively edited. CBS initially said the lawsuit was “completely without merit.”