US President Donald Trump has called for the revocation of broadcasting licenses for major news channels ABC and NBC, citing unfair coverage of Republicans and Conservatives. In a post on Truth Social, Trump described the two networks as “two of the absolute worst and most biased networks” and suggested they should pay significantly for the privilege of using public airwaves.
Trump has long been critical of major media outlets, accusing them of spreading lies about him and working to undermine his presidency on behalf of the Democrats. This is not the first time he has targeted ABC and NBC, having previously labeled them “political pawns” of the Democrats.
Recently, ABC faced controversy when veteran correspondent Terry Moran was dismissed after referring to senior Trump aide Stephen Miller as a “world-class hater.” The network also agreed to pay $15 million to Trump’s presidential library to settle a defamation lawsuit over inaccurate comments about his sexual assault and defamation trial involving columnist E. Jean Carroll.
In a separate incident, Paramount, the parent company of CBS News, agreed to pay $16 million as part of a settlement after Trump alleged the company deceptively edited a 2024 interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump has also filed a lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal’s parent company Dow Jones and its owner Rupert Murdoch over a report claiming he had sent a birthday letter to financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in the early 2000s.
The calls for license revocation and financial penalties reflect Trump’s ongoing tensions with the media. The issue of media bias and the role of major news outlets in shaping public opinion remains a contentious topic in the US. As the situation develops, it is likely that the relationship between Trump and the media will continue to be closely scrutinized.
