US President Donald Trump has accused national broadcasters ABC and NBC of spreading “fake news” and suggested that they should be restricted from expanding. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump claimed that the networks are acting as mouthpieces for the Democratic Party and should be viewed as an “illegal campaign” for the left. He argued that allowing them to grow would be detrimental, and instead, they should be made “smaller”.
The comments are the latest in Trump’s escalating criticism of mainstream media, which he believes routinely distorts coverage to favor his opponents. The post was in response to a Newsmax story about the potential expansion of television networks, including a merger between Nexstar Media Group and Tegna Inc. Trump’s administration has been moving to restrict press access and tighten control over coverage, with the president intensifying his attacks on the news media in recent weeks.
The criticism has broadened beyond national broadcasters, with Trump targeting late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel over a joke about conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr threatened to review the broadcast licenses of ABC-owned local stations and their affiliates in response. Trump has also renewed his call for the FCC to revoke broadcast licenses held by ABC, following a dispute over a question from an ABC News reporter about his handling of files related to Jeffrey Epstein.
FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez has stated that revoking broadcast licenses over a reporter’s question would not be legally justifiable, as networks do not hold licenses themselves and none of their station licenses are up for renewal soon. The FCC grants eight-year licenses to individual stations, not national networks. Despite this, Carr has repeated his call to strengthen public-interest standards for broadcasters, saying the commission remains “open-minded” about the issue.
The ongoing clash between Trump and the media highlights the tensions between the administration and the press. The president’s demands for stricter regulations on broadcasters have sparked concerns about press freedom and the potential for censorship. As the situation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how the FCC will respond to Trump’s calls for action against ABC and other networks.