Trump suggests broadcasters critical of him should lose licences
Trump said that when there is a network with evening shows, and all they do is hit Trump, "maybe their licence should be taken away."
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Former US President Donald Trump has suggested that television broadcasters who criticise him could face scrutiny of their broadcast licences, warning that networks risk losing the right to air shows if they focus too heavily on attacking him.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Thursday, Trump said that when there is a network with evening shows, and all they do is hit Trump, "maybe their licence should be taken away."
His comments came shortly after ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, following backlash from conservatives over remarks Kimmel made about the death of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk. ABC’s move followed several affiliates, including Nexstar Communications Group, announcing they would no longer carry the programme.
Defending the decision, Trump claimed the suspension was less about free speech and more about poor audience numbers. In a joint press conference with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, he said that Jimmy Kimmel was fired because he had bad ratings and said a horrible thing about a 'great gentleman' known as Charlie Kirk.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr signalled the agency could review broadcasters’ obligations to serve the public interest. He told Bloomberg that They will continue to hold these broadcasters accountable. If broadcasters do not like that solution, they can turn their licence in to the FCC.
However, experts note that the FCC licenses local affiliates rather than national networks, meaning the agency does not have direct oversight over programmes like Kimmel’s.
In his Monday monologue, Kimmel accused Trump supporters of politicising Kirk’s killing, saying, “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them.”
The following night, he mocked Vice President JD Vance’s guest appearance on Kirk’s podcast, further fuelling conservative outrage.
Trump’s clash with Kimmel comes amid a wider battle with US media. Earlier this week, he filed a $15 billion lawsuit against The New York Times, accusing it of bias. In 2024, ABC paid $15 million to settle a defamation case brought by Trump over comments made by host George Stephanopoulos.
