Trump attacks NBC, ABC News for biased coverage, calls networks “fake news” and urges FCC to revoke their licenses. Photo/X.
President Donald Trump launched a late-night critique on Sunday against NBC and ABC News, accusing the networks of providing “biased” coverage and suggesting the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) should revoke their licenses. Trump claimed that the networks had delivered negative coverage in “97%” of stories about him, though it was unclear where he sourced this figure.
A separate study earlier this year by the conservative media watchdog group, Media Research Center (MRC), reported that coverage of Trump’s first 100 days in office was “92% negative.”
“IF THAT IS THE CASE,” Trump wrote in capital letters on social media, “THEY ARE SIMPLY AN ARM OF THE DEMOCRAT PARTY AND SHOULD, ACCORDING TO MANY HAVE THEIR LICENSES REVOKED.”
The president added he would be “totally in favor” of revoking licenses because, in his view, the outlets are “so biased and untruthful, an actual threat to our Democracy.”
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He further labeled ABC and NBC as “FAKE NEWS” and “two of the absolute worst and most biased networks anywhere in the world.”
Trump questioned why the networks are not “paying Millions of Dollars a year in LICENSE FEES,” writing, “they should lose their Licenses for their unfair coverage of Republicans and/or Conservatives, but at a minimum, they should pay up BIG for having the privilege of using the most valuable airwaves anywhere at anytime!!! Crooked ‘journalism’ should not be rewarded, it should be terminated!!!”
As national networks, ABC and NBC do not hold FCC licenses for news content directly but provide programming through local affiliates across the country, which are regulated by the FCC and require licensing to operate in the U.S.
TV stations pay fees and annual regulatory charges depending on station type and market, while cable outlets pay separate regulatory fees. Only Congress has the authority to impose and collect such fees, which are deposited into the U.S. Treasury.
Experts note that any attempt to revoke licenses based on perceived news bias would violate First Amendment protections. Similar efforts in the past have been struck down by the courts.
This is not the first time Trump has criticized broadcast outlets or threatened to strip their licenses. Last year, he settled a defamation lawsuit against ABC for $15 million. He also previously hosted The Apprentice on NBC before entering politics.
Earlier this year, Paramount Global and CBS reached a settlement over Trump’s election interference lawsuit against the network, further illustrating his contentious relationship with major broadcast media.
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Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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