U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that TV networks that portray him negatively should maybe lose their licences. He made the remarks after ABC suspended late-night host Jimmy Kimmel over controversial comments. The move adds fuel to the debate about free speech and media regulation.
Trump claimed many major networks are “97% against me” and said they give him only bad publicity. He said, “they’re getting a licence. I would think maybe their license should be taken away.”
He directed those comments toward the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and its chair, Brendan Carr. Trump called Carr “outstanding” and a “patriot.” He said Carr will decide what happens.
The controversy began when ABC indefinitely suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! after Kimmel criticized conservative activists, including remarks about the death of Charlie Kirk. Broadcasters Nexstar and Sinclair had already pulled the show from their ABC-affiliated stations.
FCC Chair Brendan Carr condemned Kimmel’s comments as misleading and “truly sick.” He said broadcasters must serve the public interest. Trump echoed ratings criticism, saying Kimmel had bad ratings and that ABC should have acted sooner.
Critics have raised alarms over free speech. FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez said that threats to revoke licences over content could violate the First Amendment. Former President Barack Obama also called the pressure on ABC a “dangerous” use of regulatory power.
Some legal experts say the FCC does not licence national networks like ABC, NBC, or CBS, so revoking network licences is not legally straightforward.
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